Eye of the Storm
by Tabby Kattene
Summary: Glynda's life was perfect until the pop group she was part of broke up and everything went to hell. It's been fourteen years and she's still trying to pick up the pieces, raise her adopted daughter, avoid her criminally seductive ex-bff, and maybe, just maybe, find a new love. Cover by Rontra on tumblr, and this story is dedicated to her as well.
1. Summer to Fall

"Cinder, this is ridiculous! You can't do this!"

The three members of Summer Storm stood in a small circle inside their private studio at Vale City Dance Academy. Each of the women was very different. Standing closest to the front of the room was a very dismayed young woman with dark red hair. On her left was a blonde who did not so much look older, but simply seemed to be more mature. Across from her, a pale and confident girl with wavy black hair smiled, looking as though she enjoyed the redhead's reaction. Slowly, her smile became a smirk. "I can, and I will, if you don't meet my demands. We never had any agreement about terms. No contract said I'm bound to stay. Besides," the woman said with a raise of her perfectly-sculpted eyebrows, "I would have thought that you'd want to get rid of the third wheel. Of course the fans won't like it, but wouldn't you?"

Summer frowned and shook her head vigorously. "We'd miss you. Ruby would miss you, too... do you want her to grow up without her Aunt Cinder?"

"It's not like I'm _dying,_" Cinder spat. "I'm only quitting Summer Storm. Unless, of course, you give me reason to stay."

"Reasons like what?"

"Like being promoted to frontwoman effective immediately, and changing the name of the group to Cinder Storm. Also, we need new blood in the group. If I'm in, Glynda's out. We'll find someone new."

Glynda had been trying to stay neutral. After all, there were only three women in Summer Storm. One was her, the other was her longtime girlfriend, and the third was her best friend. Or so she had thought. "You're trying to kick me out," she stated with narrowed eyes and a flip of her curly blonde ponytail.

Cinder gave an apologetic smile that was as genuine as palm trees in New York state. "It's nothing personal, dear. I simply have a specific vision for this group, and you're in the way of it. We all know you can't keep up, Glyn. You said it yourself, you've got no real angle..."

Glynda took a step forward, threateningly. The worst part of everything that Cinder said was that she was half right. Glynda could keep up, alright. She was the best dancer of the three, and even if the others had better voices and very specific angles, hers weren't bad. Since when was it her fault that she wasn't pretty and kind like Summer, or an edgy bombshell like Cin? Glynda was the forgotten brains of the group, and she was fine with that. She only needed one person's love, and that, she definitely had.

Summer put her arm around Glynda and pulled her girlfriend closer. "Don't, Glyn," she whispered, directly into the blonde's ear. "You know Cin; she wants resistance, or a fight."

Cinder laughed. "I struck a nerve. You know I'm right about this, Glynda. You check the fanpages, you know."

"I'm not going to do this!" Summer announced. She took her arm off Glynda and walked straight up to Cinder, jabbing a long, pale finger in her friend's face. "You are _not _driving Glynda out, and I am _not _giving control of Summer Storm to someone who even tries to. I was considering it up to that point, but... how could you even think about this, Cinder? We're all supposed to be friends!"

"And friends support each others' dreams," said Cinder.

Summer frowned deeper. "Exactly! Look, apologize to Glynda and we can forget about this and go on, okay?"

Glynda didn't want to hear her apology. She could feel her own heart breaking. How could Cinder have even considered this... they were supposed to be best friends to the end, Cin and Glyn. And now she was pretty much saying that she thought Glynda brought the girl group down.

"I apologize for any hurt feelings I caused, but I'm not taking it back," Cinder said with a smile. "So you won't give in?"

"No," said Summer.

"Pity," Cinder said with a false little pout, and she walked out of the studio.

* * *

The two remaining members of Summer Storm went home.

They'd lived together for six years, spanning their first relationship, their breakup, and getting back together. They'd dealt with being in a pop trio and all those trials, with figuring out their sexual orientation, with Summer deciding she was wrong and breaking up with Glynda, getting pregnant, and realizing a year later that she had been wrong about being wrong. Glynda gripped Summer's hand. They wouldn't let losing Cinder stop them, even if it did feel like a kick in the stomach.

Summer opened the door to the almost-stereotypical two story abode. "We're home!" she called.

Immediately, what seemed to be a smaller version of her ran in from the living room. "Mama, Mommy!" she cried happily.

Glynda and Summer smiled at the daughter they were raising. Ruby hadn't been planned for, no, but she was no less welcome for it. She took almost nothing from the father that she'd never met. Everything from her shining silver eyes to her dark red hair was pure Summer.

Ruby jumped into Summer's arms, and the small woman swung her daughter around. "How was your day, pretty girl?" she asked.

"We played tea party and read a bazillion books!"

Summer smiled. "That sounds like a lot of fun! Did you eat dinner?" Ruby shook her head. "Okay, how about we all get some pizza?"

The preschooler's eyes lit up. "Yay!" she exclaimed.

Ruby's babysitter came into the foyer from the living room. "Welcome home, ladies," he greeted. "How was your day?"

"It could have been better," Summer said. "I think we'd both rather forget about it, Tukson, but thanks for asking. How was Ruby?"

"Better than she sometimes is," the man chuckled. "We read together. Her vocabulary is really getting good, even if her pronunciation leaves much to be desired." He shook his head. "I guess that's to be expected from a preschooler."

Summer got a wicked gleam in her eye. "And I heard something about tea parties as well?" she teased.

Tukson went scarlet. "I plead the fifth."

Summer laughed and turned to Glynda. "Can you pay him? My hands are full," she said, adjusting Ruby for emphasis.

Glynda nodded and smiled, taking a moment to just appreciate the situation. No matter what had happened that day, she still had the two people she loved most in the world, and they still loved her too. With that thought, she reached into her pocket and pulled out Tukson's pay. He thanked her and left, with promises to be back tomorrow so the women could go to their rehearsal, and for a moment, Summer and Glynda exchanged a worried glance. Still, they did not correct him.

Summer set Ruby down, and the young girl immediately went to Glynda. "Mommy, will you read to me?"

Glynda tried to put on a smile. "I promised Mama that I would help her order pizza. How about we read together before bedtime?"

Ruby considered, then nodded.

The group walked into the living room together, and Summer flipped on PBS for Ruby, who was more than happy to sit and watch. Convinced that their daughter was content, the girlfriends continued to the kitchen. It only took a moment to order a pizza, and then, for another long moment, they were silent.

Glynda spoke first. "I don't think we can be Summer Storm without Cinder."

"Neither do I," Summer agreed.

Another long silence, then the blonde said, "We're finished as pop idols, aren't we?"

"I think so."

"We're still going to be together though, right?"

"Of course, always."

"Okay then. I can deal with anything else."

Ruby laughed in the next room over, and despite the day, Glynda smiled. Summer followed her lead. "We're a family, and we don't need to be stars when we have each other. We'll get real jobs and Tukson can keep babysitting. Next year, Ruby'll start kindergarten, and she'll have two working moms who are almost always home and never off touring and who love each other very much. We'll live a happy life, and we'll probably even get visits from Cinder when she comes to her senses. How does that sound?"

Glynda pressed her hand on top of Summer's. "Perfect," she said.

* * *

And it was.

Almost. It did have a few hitches, such as the many people stopping them on the streets to ask, "Is it true? Is Summer Storm gone forever?" Tukson quit babysitting Ruby to open up a bookshop, but that turned out to be okay because Glynda decided to go to college online and get a teaching degree, and Summer ended up working for Tukson anyway. Cinder came to visit, and though it was only to sign the papers that would officially end their stardom days, she brought Ruby a new teddy bear and played with the little girl as if nothing had ever happened.

Every night, Summer would come home to her daughter's hugs and her girlfriend's kisses. Glynda would have put dinner on the table, and they would eat, clean up, watch a movie, put Ruby to bed, and go to bed themselves, though rarely ever did they go straight to sleep.

Life was good, for that beautiful month after the most popular girl group in the world dissolved.

* * *

"Where's Mama?"

Glynda looked away from her laptop, to little Ruby. "She'll be home soon," the blonde woman said absently.

Ruby shook her head and pointed to the digital clock hanging on the wall. "That number says six. Mama gets back at five. Remember?"

"She's probably stopped somewhere." Glynda pulled her cell phone from her pocket and checked for a new text to confirm her suspicion. Nothing. The woman frowned, concerned. _Where are you, Summer? _she texted._ Text me._

Hours later, as she put Ruby to bed, she still had no response. She'd called Summer, texted her, emailed her, even left a message on her facebook wall.

Rather than going to bed, she sat on the couch and waited and worried.

Around nine thirty, someone knocked on the door. _Oh god, _she thought as she raced from the living room to the foyer, almost knocking over a lamp in the process. _Please, Summer, let this be you._

She pulled open the door, only to see Summer's childhood friend James, decked out in his full police uniform and looking as pristine as possible. "James," Glynda exclaimed. "Or... Officer Ironwood right now?"

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

"Of course," Glynda said. "Summer's not here right now, but... wait, are you looking for her? I would but I can't leave Ruby and she's missing, and oh god..."

James took a deep breath. "Mind getting me something to drink? Grab yourself something too, we can talk in the living room."

"But don't you hear what I'm saying?"

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Trust me here, Glynda."

A thought set in immediately as she started to put the pieces together, but she refused to entertain it. Numbly, she grabbed two colas from the kitchen and walked back to the living room. James had already made himself at home. He gestured to her favorite chair. "Sit down."

She obliged.

"Summer was found dead in a ditch in some backroads an hour ago. Nobody seems to have been around, and the roads were not frequented. We think it likely that she was killed this afternoon returning from work..."

Glynda stared at him. Nothing could keep the pieces from clicking now. "She was killed."

"Well, she did die, and it's a possibility... you have fans, lots of them, perhaps this was a Misery situation gone wrong?"

"Have you talked to Cinder?"

"She isn't family." He frowned. "Technically, you aren't either, but I know how you two were and thought you had the right to be the first to know. I'm supposed to be telling Qrow right now."

Glynda shook her head, blinking back tears. It was easier than she would have thought... maybe she was in shock, just a little bit. "Not to inform her. To question her."

"That's ridiculous. Summer told me what happened, and it seems like the two had no problem. It seems like Cinder's issue was with you."

"You don't understand how Cinder was," Glynda argued.

James stood and patted Glynda on the head, but she shoved his arm away. "Don't touch me. Don't pat me. Listen to what I'm saying because nobody knew either of those women better than I did."

"Fine, fine, I'll look into it." He gave her an infuriatingly condescending smile. She could see pity laced into it as well. "For now, you should rest. You have a lot to do tomorrow. You'll probably want to set up Ruby at her uncle Qrow's house, and start working out arrangements with Summer's family in general. Speaking of that, I have to go. I need to inform them. Don't worry about them calling you late tonight; I'll tell them you already went to bed."

The whole situation seemed to slam into Glynda all at once. She'd have to give Ruby to blood relatives, and all of Summer's stuff would be divided among that family. She had no real claim to it, did she? She had no real claim to Summer at all, not when it mattered. It was such a big thing, and yet James seemed so casual about it. "Don't you care?" she asked him angrily.

"Of course I do," he said, "but you might not be able to see it right now. You're upset and I'm on duty. Now, I'll see myself out. Good night, Glynda."

"Good night, Officer Ironwood," she spat, and as soon as she heard the front door shut, she collapsed onto the couch and began to weep.

* * *

She didn't know how to tell Ruby, so she didn't. Instead, that next morning, she dressed Ruby up in her favorite frilly black dress and little red cape, and got into the car to go to Qrow's house. They stopped at their local grocery store on the way there, and Glynda bought two packages of cookies. One, she kept sealed up. The other, she split with Ruby, who happily munched them, only asking a couple times where her Mama was.

They got to Qrow's place, and Glynda had barely started knocking when the door opened. Summer's brother himself had opened the door, looking definitely devastated, but much more composed than Glynda had expected. The woman nudged Ruby inside. "Go find cousin Yang," she told the girl, who obliged with a smile.

Qrow watched her go. "Does she know?" he asked.

Glynda shook her head. "How do I tell her?"

Without another word, she handed him the box of cookies she had saved, and he accepted them just as silently. For a moment, the two adults stood there. Then, Qrow seemed to come to his senses. "Why don't you come in?"

Almost automatically, Glynda followed him through his house. She heard her little girl playing with her bossy older cousin ("No, Ruby, _I'm _the _fire_ princess, _you're _the _rose _princess. Duh."). Then, she was in the living room, and the two adults sat across from each other. Glynda took a deep breath. "I'm sure you realize why I'm here."

"Not really, no. I would think to comfort us, but you need it as much as we do."

Glynda couldn't help but silently curse Qrow for making her say it. "You're Ruby's blood relatives. Law dictates that you have your chance to take her in and raise her." She said it flatly, trying to cut off all emotions, but she could feel a tremble in her lip and tears in her eyes.

Qrow looked towards the playroom longingly, and Glynda knew, just knew, that she was going to be all alone, that he would take her and believe wholeheartedly that it was for the best. She only wished that she could believe the same.

Then, he spoke. "She's your daughter, isn't she?"

"She was Summer's baby..."

"Yes, biologically, the same way she's my niece. But... she's your daughter, isn't she? In your heart."

Glynda swallowed hard and nodded. "She is."

Qrow took a deep breath. "I would love to have her, that little piece of Summer, and I know she and Yang would be happy to live together. I'd have no issue providing for her, but still, I couldn't do it. I won't take her away from you, on the condition that we see her often."

"Of course," Glynda said, choking up. She tried to breath, but ironically almost, the relief was too strong. The tears that had welled up in her eyes began to flow, and she couldn't help but sob. She still had her family, if only part. She still had Ruby.

She would have to tell Ruby that Mama was never coming back. She would have to find a way to support them once the stardom money came out, and she would have to deal with paperwork and probably police. She would get through it though. She had her home, and she had friends, and above all, she had her beautiful, beautiful daughter.

They would get through anything.


	2. Another Summer

_Fourteen years later_

The phone rang, and the tall blonde woman picked it up curtly. "Glynda Goodwitch," she said.

"Glyn!" Yang Xiao Long exclaimed. "Where are you?"

Glynda relaxed. "I'll be there shortly. Have Nora and Ruby already arrived?"

"A while ago," Yang responded in a tone that said, 'and we're wondering why you haven't yet.' "We practiced 'Hey You,' but now we kinda want to go out for ice cream."

"Not right now. I'll be there in a minute."

There was silence at the other end of the line. Glynda was always unsure how Yang would take things like that. "We'll rehearse. Then we'll all get ice cream," the older woman clarified.

"Sounds great, see you soon, you're paying!"

A little 'click' ended the call, and Glynda sighed. Sometimes she wondered why she had decided to coach the three young women.

As she walked to the foyer of the house she shared with her adopted daughter, a picture caught her eye. The Summer Storm logo adorned the bottom of the photo, which caught the three very different young women holding microphones. Teenage Glynda was on the rightmost side, smiling a soft, but determined smile, and on the opposite side stood Cinder, smirking sexily, with her microphone so close to her lips she was practically licking it. It was, predictably, Summer who held the most attention, however. The small redhead wore a gigantic grin as she held the other two close. She was the only one with a headset rather than a traditional mic, likely due to the fact that her hands were occupied – she was hugging her two friends.

She was the reason. Glynda didn't know why she ever questioned it.

The thirty-four year old woman reached out and touched a finger to Summer's lips before exiting the house and locking the door.

* * *

Vale City Dance Academy's private practice room was a familiar, homey place to Glynda. She'd spent many days there over the course of many, many years, starting in her youth and going into her adulthood. Her first kiss had been on the same dance floor that she now used to coach the three girls who promised to carry on her legacy. She'd had picnics in that room, slumber parties, rehearsals that lasted until midnight, and even excited, forbidden sex in the attached dressing room. Apart from the house she shared with her daughter, no place made her feel more comfortable.

The room was also home to one of her two worst memories, but she was happy enough to ignore that one.

As she walked into the studio that had been exclusively dedicated to their rehearsals, Glynda caught sight of Yang draped over the piano bench, half asleep. Ruby leaned against the gigantic mirror that covered one wall, doing homework, and Nora, for some reason, was doing cartwheels all around the floor. "You're going to want to keep some of that energy, Nora," Glynda said. "We've got a long few hours ahead of us."

"Don't worry!" Nora chirped, landing on her feet and saluting. "I'm ready to go, captain!"

Yang raised a hand lazily. "Me too, in like, five minutes."

Ruby looked up from her book. "Is it true we're going for ice cream later?"

Glynda smiled, amused, and closed her eyes. "Only if all three of you give me a good rehearsal. If we're going to get anywhere, I need you to put in your all, and if not, you won't be reaping any rewards."

As Glynda's eyes reopened, she watched Ruby fistpump. "Alright! No problem, the Queens of the Castle are on it!"

"Have you heard what Velvet said the fan forums were doing with our name?" Yang asked. "They've been abbreviating it to QotC, pronounced 'cutesy.' I like it."

"Oooh, that's nice," Ruby agreed as Nora clapped her hands together in agreement.

"There won't _be_ any fan forums if you girls don't get to work," Glynda threatened, and adjusted her glasses. "Let's take the tour set list from the top."

* * *

The Queens of the Castle were not, as the rumors said, a Summer Storm tribute band or second generation, though Glynda sometimes made the mistake of treating them as such. When Ruby had said she wanted to be in a girl group like her mother was, Glynda was more than happy to set it up... after all, she knew girl groups better than anyone else, and she knew that even with all the pain, the four years she spent in Summer Storm were the best years of her life. The dynamic was easy enough to recreate. Ruby was just like Summer, a frontwoman whose angle was pure kindness, someone whose enthusiasm could light up the stage on its own. Through auditions, she found Yang Xiao Long... Ruby's cousin, oddly enough... who took the role of bombshell immediately, and Nora Valkyrie, who became their third member.

The differences between Summer Storm and QotC were much more pronounced than the similarities, however. Ruby had more of a spotlight on her than Summer ever had, simply because of her dead popstar mother and status as the manager's adopted daughter. Yang, though sexy and flirty with an almost-dangerous tilt, was much more friendly and relaxed than Cinder ever was, as well as more of a tomboy. And while Glynda felt near-useless in Summer Storm, with no angle to speak of, Nora had immediately taken the role of the eccentric cutie.

Glynda couldn't help but circulate through four main emotions when she dealt with her girls. There was happiness, for recreating the best years of her life in such a way that her daughter could experience them too, and disappointment that it didn't work out absolutely perfectly. Jealousy that each girl in QotC had an angle and a chance to shine when Glynda had been almost always in the backseat to her groupmates. However, the single most prominent emotion was pride, especially during rehearsals like this one, where the girls sang and danced in perfect, happy harmony.

* * *

As soon as the rehearsal was over and the girls... Glynda included... were near collapsed on the studio floor, Ruby looked to her adoptive mother. "Mom, can I call Vel to come with us?"

"Of course," Glynda said, vaguely surprised that Ruby even asked about inviting her girlfriend. "She's part of QotC too, isn't she?"

Ruby's face lit up, and Glynda smiled. The last time she'd seen a couple as good as Ruby Rose and Velvet Scarlatina was... well, it was herself and Summer. Ruby and Velvet were natural. They were both seniors at Signal High School now, but they'd met in kindergarten, when the Scarlatina family moved in next door. The childhood friends had shared playdates, sleepovers, study sessions, and when Ruby was sixteen, she asked Velvet out on a date. For the last two years, the pair had been going strong.

When Queens of the Castle had formed a year ago, Glynda and Ruby had offered Velvet a spot. She had declined to be part of the group due to her shyness, but had still attended the auditions, many of the rehearsals, and all the shows and recording sessions she could. Being up close to the action and being friends with all the bandmates, she had slipped into the role of "amateur publicity coordinator" almost too easily. She kept up with the fansites, blogs, and fan forums and reported interesting news, critique, and praise back to the band, and more than once had passed the group's responses onto the internet as well. On occasion, she even interviewed the members for her own blog. Though real life fame didn't appeal to the brunette teen, internet fame seemed to suit her just fine.

Ruby dialed up her girlfriend, who answered in what seemed like no time at all. "Hey, Bunny!" Ruby greeted, using her pet name for the girl. "Wanna go out to ice cream with all of us?"

There was a pause, then Ruby put her hand over the speaker and mouthed "where are we going?"

"That new bookstore, coffee, and ice cream place on Hunter Street!" Yang decided before anyone else had even gotten a say. Glynda closed her eyes in exasperation, but let it slide.

"That new... oh, you heard Yang say it? Yeah, she is loud. Anyway, we'll meet you there in ten minutes then! I love you a whole lot! See you soon! Bye!" Ruby set the phone down and stood up. "Well, let's get going!" she said to the group.

Glynda shook her head. "Not so fast. Before we go, I want to get a picture."

"Oooh, selfie with Glyn?" Nora asked excitedly.

"No, Nora, a serious picture," Glynda clarified, getting out her phone and pulling up the camera app. "There's a specific pose. Ruby, can you stand right in the middle, with Yang on your right and Nora on your left?" The girls obliged. "Okay, now Ruby, please put your arms around the girls... just like that, thank you... Yang, give a flirty look, and Nora, just smile. You too, Ruby. Big smiles all around."

She had meant to pose them like that to recreate the famous Summer Storm picture, but Queens of the Castle was not Summer Storm. Yang blew a kiss at the camera with a wink and a cheeky grin, and Nora was all too enthusiastic, beaming like it was Christmas day. Only Ruby had it exactly right, and Glynda didn't know if it was because she automatically recognized that Glynda wanted to recreate the shot that hung in their foyer, or whether she was simply her mother's daughter.

_I could show them how to do the pose correctly, but it isn't their pose. They aren't Summer Storm and they never will be,, and I could never be prouder of them, even if they were._

_Even Ruby, though similar to her mother, is different. There will never be another Summer._

She took the photo with a "click."

* * *

The outside of the ice cream shop looked old, despite all of Yang's assurances that it was brand new. Upon inspection, Glynda realized that it was because they had barely changed the storefront from what it used to be... sure enough, if she squinted, she could still see a faint shadow of the words "Tukson's Book Trade" on the window, even through the new sign of "Ozpin's Copy and Cafe: Books, Ice Cream, Coffee."

Glynda sighed as she thought of her old friend Tukson. He'd moved to Vacuo Heights, California a year ago, leaving his old store painfully bare. He'd probably be happy to know that it had been turned into yet another bookstore, and she made a mental note to send him a message about it on Facebook.

Leaning against the window was a delicate-looking brunette with an overly-large hoodie that she seemed to almost sink into. The deep chocolate brown jacket was remarkable not just for its size, but also for the pair of rabbit ears that decorated the hood. They flopped over the girl's face, obscuring it from passerby, but still allowing their wearer to read the volume of manga that she held intently.

Ruby rushed over to her. "Sorry to keep you waiting!"

The manga closed, and the girl removed her hood. Her deep brown eyes lit up. "There you are," she said in her distinctive voice... soft, with a slight-but-obvious English accent. "It's only been a few minutes though, don't worry."

"I just don't like making you stand outside, Vel," Ruby said with a pout.

Velvet smiled reassuringly. "It's fine." She looked around. "Yang, Nora, Ms. Goodwitch... how are you?"

"Great!" Yang exclaimed, and Nora smiled and put her thumbs up happily. Glynda nodded politely. "So," Yang continued, "Let's not all hang out here, let's get inside, okay? I want some ice cream!"

"Yeah!" Ruby agreed, and she opened the door, holding it for everyone else. Glynda smiled a little bit. She'd definitely raised a polite daughter... Summer would have been proud.

The inside of the shop, unlike the outside, was completely changed. When Tukson owned the bookstore, only the ground floor was browseable, while the basement's books were limited to staff. Now, the entire ground floor had been converted into a cafe. Tables were placed where bookshelves used to be, and there were two cashier stations... one for books and coffee, one for ice cream. White boards with the menu hung on the walls behind the food preparation area, which was made to allow customers to walk down the stairs into the bookstore section of the shop.

The store was nearly devoid of people. Two cashiers, one for each section, studied text books. Glynda guessed that they were both Beacon University students taking the job for extra cash. At the table closest to one of the cashiers, a black-haired girl with a ribbon in her hair, another girl sat and studied as well, nursing a frappe and twirling her white-as-snow sidetail as she did.

The QotC girls ran up to the ice cream cashier, and the handsome blonde sat his book down and gave them a charming grin. "Hey, I'm Sun Wukong, and I'll be your ice cream man today. Any of you ladies care to try our daily special?"

"Ooh, what is it?" Nora asked.

Sun checked the white-board behind him. "Belladonna Black Cherry and Coffee Combo."

Ruby blinked. "Isn't belladonna... kinda poisonous?"

"Is it?" Sun asked, glancing over at his ravenette coworker.

She nodded. "Well, yeah. It's also my last name, though. Ozpin... uh, the owner... let us both pick an ice cream flavor to be sold here when we were hired, and then named them after us too. So, I'm Blake Belladonna, and I picked black cherry and coffee ice cream."

Yang clapped her hands together. "Sounds great, I'll take four scoops in a chocolate dipped waffle cone."

Glynda automatically checked the price for Yang's order and barely contained a groan.

"I'll just have chocolate," Ruby said. "Sugar cone, two scoops, please."

"Oooh, I want a sugar cone too!" Nora decided.

Sun paused for a few seconds, then prompted, "And what ice cream do you want in it?"

Nora thought. "Surprise me," she decided.

Ruby turned to her girlfriend. "What are you getting?"

Velvet didn't answer to Ruby, and went straight to Sun. "I was here a week or so ago, and you managed to get me some banana stuff because of my..."

"Lactose intolerance?" Sun prompted.

Velvet nodded.

"Oh no!" Ruby exclaimed. "Velvet, I forgot! I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine, Ruby," Velvet said. "They've got a really nice substitute here."

Sun nodded and went to a cabinet behind the counter. As he opened it, the group saw that it housed what seemed to be the largest collection of ice cream decorations in the world, ranging from crumbs of cake to traditional rainbow sprinkles. "Peanut butter... peanut butter," Sun murmured to himself. Upon apparently not finding any, he shut the door and walked over to the stairs. "Ozpin!" he called. "We have a Code L and no peanut butter!"

"I'll be there in a moment!" a kind-sounding male voice yelled back.

Sure enough, within seconds a grey-haired and bespectacled man walked up the steps, a jar of peanut butter in one hand and a mug of steaming hot coffee in the other. He set the peanut butter down at Sun's workstation. "Sun's Banana Rescue Mission is much more popular than I expected," he commented.

Sun smirked. "See, I told you. The way to charm customers is to present ice cream alternatives to lactose-intolerant people, and also to invest in a lot of bananas."

"I'm only slightly surprised to admit you may be right." From a giant freezer, Ozpin pulled out a bag of what seemed to be frozen bananas and poured them into a blender, adding a small amount of peanut butter to the mix and blending both ingredients together.

After a couple minutes, in which Sun served the rest of the girls up (Nora receiving a single scoop of superman with great happiness), something that looked like a banana soft serve was handed to Velvet. "One bowl of Sun's Banana Rescue Mission," said the blonde boy. "Enjoy."

"Just out of curiosity," Velvet asked, "could I get a recipe?"

As Sun looked around for a paper and a pen, Ozpin stepped up to the cash register. "What can I get for you, Miss... Goodwitch?"

Glynda took her debit card from her purse. "Nothing, I'm just paying," she said, not quite registering what the owner of the shop had said.

"You are Glynda Goodwitch, aren't you?" he asked.

She frowned. "Do I know you?"

"No, I'm afraid you don't, but I'm a fan," the man said.

Glynda handed him her card. "Of Summer Storm."

"Well, yes," he said, "but I really meant of _you_. You were a great dancer in your youth, and now you're training the next generation. I presume this is Queens of the Castle that you've taken for ice cream?"

"Yes," Glynda confirmed sharply. "What is it that you want, Mr. Ozpin?"

He seemed to be taken aback. "Nothing, now that you've paid for that ice cream."

She let out a huff. _Nobody's ever a fan of me and only me, _she thought. _Nice try, Ozpin, but you definitely want something, even if it's just information. _

He seemed to guess what she was thinking and gave a reassuring smile. "Your daughter looks very grown up now."

"She is," Glynda said. "Thank you for the ice cream. Girls, let's go."

"We aren't eating here?" Ruby asked, or really, almost whined.

"Let's go to the park," Glynda suggested. "It's a nice day."

"Awww, okay," Ruby said. "Nice to meet you all!"

"Yeah!" Yang agreed. "Nice to meet you!" Nora smiled and waved to them, and Velvet waved as well, more shyly than the carrot-topped Nora.

"Wait!"

Sun shot a paper airplane at them, and Yang caught it out of thin air and unfolded it. "Ooh!" she exclaimed, "You're having a special event tomorrow?"

"One free scoop and a mini concert," Ozpin confirmed. "I hope to see you all here."

Glynda frowned. "Maybe," she said, and she walked out the door, trusting her girls to follow.


	3. Cute Girls

"Mom, can I go over to Uncle Qrow's house tonight? Yang wants me to watch Quest with her."

"Don't you normally watch it with Velvet?" Glynda asked.

"Well yeah, she's coming too. It's the season premiere."

"What time will it be on and when will you be back?" She supposed she didn't need to ask things like that anymore, or worry about them. Ruby was a senior in high school, age eighteen. She was getting her share of the QotC money and though some inevitably went to her manga and video game habits, a good chunk was being put away for the future. She was polite, responsible, and kind. Summer's daughter, through and through.

Ruby considered. "Ten, and probably around eleven-thirty. Yang's driving me back."

"And you won't be too tired for rehearsal in the morning?"

"Nah," the small redhead dismissed. "I'll be great! I'll get a big cup of coffee when I wake up."

"Let me make a mental note to restock on sugar, then," joked Glynda. "Alright, you can go. So it's the season premiere of Quest?"

"Yeah!" Ruby became visibly excited. "And something's going on with King and Yang thinks that now that Linda's herself again the next goal is to cure Perrie, but I think they have to find Wynne before anything else..."

Glynda tried not to tune her daughter out, but the popular television show never had interested her, and she was almost too eager to get some alone time, despite her initial reluctance to let Ruby go out. It had been a long day, and she wanted nothing more than to write about it.

"Also," Ruby said, "the other girls really, really want to go to that event at Copy and Cafe, and I do too, so... can we?"

"You all want to go?" Glynda confirmed. When Ruby nodded, the blonde woman sighed. "Well... okay."

"Yay!" the redhead exclaimed. "I think it's gonna be great! Besides, that ice cream was delicious. Why didn't you get any?"

Glynda frowned. "I wasn't exactly in the mood," she said, not wanting to get into the fact that the owner really kind of rubbed her the wrong way.

"Oh, okay. I mean, I don't get how anyone can _not _be in the mood for ice cream, but whatever floats your boat, Mom!" A car horn honked outside, and Ruby smiled up at Glynda. "Well, that'd be my ride, I'll see you tonight!"

"You had them pick you up before you even knew I would let you go?" Glynda shook her head. "Very well, have a good time."

"Will do!" Ruby promised and ran out to the car that waited for her... probably Qrow's minivan, since Yang only had a motorcycle that Ruby was very forbidden from ever riding.

Within seconds, the house was quiet. Glynda smiled to herself and went upstairs to her study.

Upon arriving, she sat down at her desk and pulled a book out from the drawer underneath it. The book was large, labeled with the number "14." A sideways glance to the bookshelf revealed the thirteen predecessors.

The woman picked up her pen and started to write on the first blank page she saw.

_Ruby is reckless sometimes, but she's such a good girl, and so much like you. You'd be so proud of all she's done... how she avoids the mistakes you made as though she made them herself. Of course, she's human, things happen... but I can trust her more than I thought I could trust any child._

_Not that she's a child anymore. I keep waiting for her to leave me. I'll have to let her, of course, but how I'll cry. I'm almost alone like I thought I would be so many years ago. I don't ever want to be that alone. But besides you and her, who will love me with the bright unconditional love I've grown so dependent on? The other Queens of the Castle love me, but Yang and Nora have _reasons_. What I've done, how I've cared for them, how I treat them. If the day ever came that I couldn't be good to them, they would have no reason to stay with me. _

_You always loved me, even at my bitterest. I hope Ruby never sees me bitter, but I know she would too. What happens when she leaves me, Summer? _

_What happens when all my happiness is gone?_

Glynda put the pen down. She always got emotional when writing to the woman she loved, but she didn't usually get this depressed.

She closed the book, stared at it for a long moment, then put it away and went to bed early.

* * *

"You're up," Ruby said happily as Glynda stumbled groggily into the kitchen. The smell of coffee had taken over the air, and there already seemed to be a mugful waiting for her on the kitchen table, next to a plate of eggs and bacon.

Glynda smiled gratefully at her daughter as she sat down and began to eat.

"So Quest last night... holy crap, Mom, the group found WQ and she's so _creepy _and I don't know how we waited _so long _for this and just _wow_... you really should give the show a try..."

"It's not really my thing," Glynda dismissed. "From what I've heard from you girls, that show is almost a form of self harm, and I've got enough to worry about without a weekly cry." And enough to cry about without a weekly worry, she added mentally, but didn't say.

"Well, I guess it's kinda depressing, but it's so cool," Ruby said with a frown.

"I'll take your word for it," said Glynda as she took a bite of bacon. "So are you ready for rehearsal today? We'll be running Gold, Mirror Mirror... and Shine. Over and over and over." Distaste played on Ruby's face. She hated that number, and Glynda well knew it. "In full costume," she added. "You've got to get used to moving around in an outfit with LED lights."

"I don't see why we have to have lights on our dresses," the girl grumbled.

"Because they draw attention to you and because Yang and Nora outvoted you on the simpler outfit." Glynda smiled, but secretly agreed with Ruby. The lights were annoying.

"You don't like them either," Ruby continued, her voice still slightly muffled, and Glynda probably shouldn't have been shocked at how observant her daughter was, but the shock still came. It didn't last long, however, as Ruby brightened, immediately and considerably. "Then the concert and ice cream?"

"Yes, that," Glynda agreed. A night's sleep had eased her discomfort from the day before considerably... she wasn't looking forward to the event, but neither was she dreading it. "Do you even know who's playing at this mini-concert?"

Ruby looked towards the refrigerator. The promo flyer had been attached with a magnet. "Some local band called Cinderblock," she told her mother. The redhead rose from the table and moved closer, crouching down so she was at eye level with the words. "Looks like they're pretty popular, and the vocalist seems to be a big name already, though it doesn't say why. But the event is definitely being pushed as a cool thing, and hey, free ice cream." Ruby smiled a lopsided grin.

"What time is it? I'd like to have an idea of how long we're rehearsing beforehand."

"Not until seven."

"So we'll work from nine to six, with a half hour for lunch at one. Fair?"

Ruby grumbled, but it seemed more an attempt to joke around than to complain, something made evident by the hint of a smile playing on her face.

The blonde woman glanced down at her watch. "And look, it's almost eight. Let's clean up and get going."

* * *

Nora, Yang, and Velvet either hadn't gotten the "we'll start at nine" memo, or hadn't cared.

Velvet's hands moved quickly on the piano. Her normally spotless playing was occasionally broken up with a mistake or two, coinciding with the moments she chose to throw criticisms Yang and Nora's way. "Yang, wake up, it's like you've had no coffee all day. Nora, you need more power in the last bit. Yang, you aren't singing most of this one, so throw everything you have into the dance, it's important."

"She's right," Glynda added as she stepped into the studio with Ruby right behind. On cue, the music stopped. "This is the first song we'll be doing on tour. We start slow and lovely, then move into high energy, and we need to get both spot-on. Nora's doing most of the singing, so Yang, pull all of your concentration into spotless dancing."

"We're thinking ballet-ish for the first part, and explosive pop for the rest, right Mom?"

"Yes, Ruby. Now, stop directing and start working with Yang on this." Glynda tried to look stern. "From the top."

Velvet started the song again, fingers moving slowly and steadily over the keys. Nora took a deep breath, standing in the center of the floor, Yang and Ruby sitting on either side of her. As her cue approached, she cleared her throat, then started to sing.

As Glynda had wanted, her dancers started off slow, their arms and legs stretching almost lazily, almost perfect but not _quite. _They still had work to do. The first verse ended, and their dancing raised them into a standing position, increasing in speed almost wildly, but never moving quite as quickly as Velvet's fingers.

Glynda turned her attention to Nora. Nora was not the obvious choice for this solo, no, but that didn't mean she wasn't a _good _choice. Her voice lacked a lot of power in group songs, but when given this number, she had truly proven herself to shine. Every time she sang it, she got better.

The whole run through was a pleasure to watch and listen to, which was the whole point.

As it drew to a close, Glynda mouthed the final lines with Nora.

_Mirror, mirror, tell me something – who's the loneliest of all?_

_I'm the loneliest of all._

All four girls finished beautifully, and looked at their choked-up coach for approval. Glynda took a deep breath.

"Again, from the top."

* * *

Rehearsal ended not with four exhausted teenagers, but four pumped-up teens and one exhausted Glynda. "Do I have to go to this concert?" she asked her daughter, sounding like a small child even to herself.

"Yeah. You need to get out more, Mom," Ruby said, and for a moment, there was a flash of concern in her round face. It was quickly replaced with a mischievous grin. "Maybe you'll meet a cute girl there, who knows?"

Instead of saying what she thought (_I won't, and I refuse to)_, Glynda simply corrected her daughter. "Or maybe a man."

"Maybe someone with more than one gender," shot Yang.

"No gender at all," Velvet added.

Nora grinned. "Someone completely unique!"

Glynda acknowledged their additions with a curt nod. "All valid options for me." _Except they aren't._

She was a little put-off and a little concerned by Ruby's requests that she find a new significant other. Even as a child, Ruby had never asked for a new mommy or daddy... she had been content. The older she got, however, the more she hinted that maybe, just maybe, Glynda should keep an eye out for something romantic.

"Never mind that," she said, as much to her thoughts as to her girls, "This night is for you. Let's get us to my place and change before we head out."

Nora and Yang had spent so much time in the Rose household that spare clothes for unexpected sleepovers hung in the closet, and they were undeniably comfortable. Within five minutes of arriving in the spacious two-story abode, the three singers of Queens of the Castle were dressed in concert-appropriate clothing, with Velvet rushing over from her house next door, her outfit also the perfect mix of casual, cute, and wild.

Glynda hadn't anticipated that four girls getting ready to rock would be quite so quick, so by the time she parked in front of the Copy and Cafe, there was more than twenty minutes before the event even started.

As Queens of the Castle walked into the bookstore, the raven-haired girl from before greeted them calmly. She was out of her uniform, instead dressed in a sleeveless purple hoodie with cat ears, a white Oxford shirt, and black skinny jeans held up by a purple ribbon rather than a belt. Her long hair was tied back into a similarly-colored bow, and the slightest bit of makeup made her golden eyes stand out a mile away. "Welcome! The event's downstairs and pleasedonotbringfoodintothebookstoreproper," she took a breath, "it'sagainstourrules. Your complimentary small scoop of ice cream can be retrieved at any time this evening by giving the name of the first song performed. Thanks for coming."

"You look nice today, Blake Belladonna," Yang said, and winked. She moved her tan shoulders very slightly, very flirtily. It registered to Glynda that Yang must have thought this girl was something special to remember her name

Blake glanced down at her outfit. "Oh... thanks. I wasn't supposed to work tonight, I just came because I like the band, but Ozpin forgot to schedule a greeter so when I showed up he offered to pay double."

_Unorganized. That man is completely unorganized._

"You look pretty lonely, though!" Yang chirped, and it kicked into the rest of the group that she was flirting. "Here, let me help with that."

With a few eye rolls and some muffled giggles, they moved on. Behind them, Blake protested, "But I have a book... like seriously..."

The group, now narrowed to four, went between the food counters and down into the basement. Lines of bookshelves covered three of the walls like paint, and the other wall had a makeshift stage attached at the bottom. Instruments sat there, but only one musician accompanied them, a dark-skinned girl with punk-styled mint green hair and barely any clothes. As the group walked in, she looked up from the bass that she was tuning and waved cheerily.

Ruby and Velvet suddenly got distracted by a friend from their high school and wandered away, and Nora followed.

Glynda found herself alone at a rock concert at the age of thirty-four, which, in her opinion, was too old to find herself alone at a rock concert.

"Not your style of music, is it?" said a low voice from behind her.

Glynda jumped and cursed, turning to face the store's owner. "It might have been nice to approach me from the front," she shot.

He smiled. "Not exactly an answer to my question, but I'll take it. I really am surprised to see you here, though."

"QotC wanted to come."

"So you tagged along?"

"They're my girls." Glynda's voice was short, and she vaguely wondered why she was responding to this man at all. The attention he gave made her vaguely uncomfortable, though not in a way that meant she wouldn't feel guilty for punching him... more in a way of _it just didn't make sense. _She shook the idea that maybe he actually was an old fan of hers from her mind and continued. "I need to make sure they stay out of trouble."

He smiled, and there was something about the smile that she couldn't quite read. It was disconcerting... what _was _this man? "This concert is all ages, you know."

"So was my senior year Homecoming dance, and yet..." _Summer ended up pregnant, I got drunk and somehow leaked half of our new album, and Cinder slept with half the school and _didn't _end up pregnant somehow. _She couldn't say that to Ozpin. Too embarrassing.

Ozpin snorted at that. "Point taken. I'm just wondering why you're here when..."

"When I'm obviously a one-dimensional _pop star _who never managed to adapt to anything?" she said, glaring.

"No, I mean, when..."

"Hey, Ozpin! We've got a Code L!" yelled someone from upstairs.

The silver-haired man smiled and murmured a quick apology before leaving, and Glynda breathed a sigh of relief as he did. Her sense of discomfort and her strangely confusing feelings left with the older man.

More and more people trickled into the room until it was packed, probably dangerously past capacity. As it hit seven, the lights dimmed, all but two red-tinted spotlights aimed at the stage. A voice, one that Glynda couldn't place, crackled over the store's PA system. "Ladies and gentlemen... Cinderblock!"

The crowd cheered madly, teens and young adults jumping up and down to get a better view. In her heels and with her height, Glynda could see almost perfectly without dangerous movement. Through her glasses, maybe a bit _too _good of a prescription, she watched as the green-haired punk finished tuning her guitar. She watched as the rest of the band walked in, single-file, but still enthusiastic. A petite teen with multicolored hair stopped at a shiny keyboard. A shady redhead picked up a guitar, while a pale boy who looked much too flirty for his own good manned the drums. All that was left, it seemed, was the vocalist.

The redhead leaned over to the microphone. "Featuring, the one, the only..."

A woman walked in, someone Glynda's own age, someone who should not have been in a rock band with a bunch of teenagers. Her dark hair flowed like a waterfall onto her perfectly-sculpted shoulders, and the rest of her curvy body was covered in a tight red dress.

Glynda found that she couldn't move.

The redhaired man finished to the sound of cheers. "Cinder Fall!"

With a twirl, Glynda's ex-best friend picked up the microphone and started to sing.

Inside her own mind, Glynda screamed.


	4. Celebrity Crush

_**TW: Sexual harassment, proceed at your own risk.**_

* * *

One of Blake Belladonna's biggest faults was that she was too polite.

People liked to confuse this with "too nice," most recently the tall, muscular blonde who was obviously flirting with her. In all probability, the young woman could sense that Blake didn't want to be flirted with, but since she could also tell that Blake wasn't able to leave, she had opted to continue. That was, after all, how people generally were.

Blake tried to show her disinterest by looking out the window of the Copy and Cafe, schooling her expression into blandness.

That didn't last long when she saw her girlfriend walking across the street, headed for the cafe, platinum sidetail swinging. Blake cursed under her breath, and the muscular blonde stopped mid-sentence. "Something wrong?" she asked curiously.

"You need to go," Blake said, going against her polite instincts in favor of pure _survival. _"Like, seriously. The concert's downstairs. Enjoy."

The blonde looked hurt, and Blake bitterly prepared for an argument. _For a girl, she sure acts like a 'nice guy.' _To her surprise, the young woman took a breath, smiled shakily, and said "Okay! I hope I get to see you later, Blake!" before turning to go downstairs.

As the door to the shop opened, Blake felt a stab of guilt: _I don't remember _her _name. _She pushed the feeling away.

"Who was that?" demanded a shrill, but calm, voice.

Blake looked down at her girlfriend. Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Pharmaceutical Corporation, and a Business major at the same university that Blake studied Creative Writing at, stood with her hands on her hips. "She's not a friend of yours," Weiss continued, " as I've never seen her before."

"Just a customer," Blake said with a roll of her eyes. "A really pushy one."

"Did you tell her you aren't working?"

"Well," Blake said with a little smile, "Ozpin offered me extra to work last minute tonight... so actually, I _am _working."

Weiss gave a little huff. "I'd say that you value money over me, but I've offered you money before. I don't see why it's so important for you to work! I can pay for whatever you need."

"It's different when you do that!" Blake protested, but though she was a writer (and a rather good one, if she did say so herself), she could never find the words to vocalize how it was different.

Weiss sighed. "Whatever. There's no backing out now. I guess I'll go enjoy the concert on my own. Ah, who's playing again?"

"Cinderblock." Blake bit her lip. It was bad enough she was working unexpectedly, but she'd forgotten that she had been the one to invite Weiss, who had little to no interest in the local music scene. _Wow, am I a jerk._

* * *

Glynda regained mobility halfway through the first song. As she climbed the stairs to the cafe, she almost ran headfirst into a very annoyed looking white haired college student. With a murmured apology, she burst onto the ground floor like a diver surfacing. She certainly gasped for breath as though that was the situation, and not some ancient frienemy.

Only even twenty steps above the noise, she could still make out every word that all-too-familiar voice sang.

_Not every open wound is simply healed with time, but revenge is always sweet, and chaos is the price._

Glynda scoffed. "Funny things for you to sing, Cinder."

"What?" asked the greeter... Blake? Glynda noted that she was alone yet again. She shook her head at Blake, and walked out the door.

She knew she couldn't go far. She had no idea when the concert would end, and the girls needed a way to get home. It looked like she'd be hanging outside for a while. Probably hours. She shivered. Already, the night air was starting to grow cold.

"Thought I might find you out here," said Ozpin. Glynda silently cursed the fact that she was able to immediately recognize his voice.

"Where else would I be?" she spat. "You said it yourself, didn't you? You didn't expect me to be here. Because of _her. _You could have warned me, yet you _didn't." _

He smiled softly, sympathetically. "I was going to, but I _do _have a business to run, you know."

Glynda said nothing to that, looking away. She refused to admit that that did, in fact, make sense.

For a moment, there was silence, then Ozpin cleared his throat. "So, did you catch the Quest premiere last night?"

She looked back to him. "I don't watch Quest. I don't like it."

Ozpin made a face that vaguely reminded Glynda of a confused puppy, then glanced down at his shirt. Glynda realized that he was wearing a green tee. On it was a silver, boxy-headed stick-figure monster with a single eye. King. The mascot of the show. Ozpin was obviously a big fan. Glynda huffed, then added to her statement. "My daughter loves it though. She says Linda reminds her of me."

"I can see it," said the shop owner.

Glynda grunted noncommittally. "As I said... I wouldn't know. I'm not a fan."

Again, silence fell, and again, Ozpin broke it. "So, the weather is looking pretty nice..."

"Cut the crap," Glynda interrupted. "What do you want, Mr. Ozpin? I'm a very busy woman, despite my lack of fame, which I am _painfully _aware of. I am not anyone's favorite out of Summer Storm, and I think you proved that by having _Cinder Fall _play with her new band in the basement of your store. So I'll ask you once, about as nicely as I know how: what the fuck do you want from me?"

"You really think you can only be a fan of one person?" Ozpin said reasonably. The only hint of him being shaken at the accusation was a sadness in his eyes. "I liked you best. You were... are... smart, modest, calm... well, for the most part anyway." His eyes twinkled behind his glasses. "And your voice is heavenly, and you're quite attractive, if I may say so respectfully." _You can't. _"I liked you best. Then Summer, and then Cinder. But I did like you all. So of course, when Cinderblock went looking for gigs, over a month ago, I allowed them to perform here. How was I to know you'd show up? How was I to know you didn't know about Cinderblock?"

Glynda opened her mouth, only to find herself speechless.

Ozpin continued. "What do I want from you? Well, I mean, haven't you ever had a celebrity you really wanted to meet? Now imagine you got to meet them and they were just as you imagined they'd be. Wouldn't you want to get to know them?"

"For a fan, you've sure missed a lot of the interviews I've given..." Glynda started, but Ozpin shook his head.

"That was bordering on sarcasm. I know what happened with you and Summer."

* * *

_Glynda Goodwitch was fourteen years old, a freshman at Signal High, a foster kid, and a 'nerd' with a huge crush on the most popular girl in school. _

_Summer Rose, however, was not one of the scarier popular girls. Was she pretty? Was she well-liked? Did everyone want to date her? Well, yes, but she was kind. If Glynda were to ask her out (was Summer even bi?), she would not give a cruel rejection, but probably talk about how sweet and brave this freshman was to offer, then say the dreaded five words, "But I have a boyfriend."_

_As likely as that seemed, however, Glynda couldn't help but hang as close to the junior as she could. She spent hours looking into the mirror at the house where she lived. "If my blonde hair didn't curl, maybe then," she'd say. "If I didn't have so many zits on my chin... maybe if I acted dumb? No way would Summer want that! She's not that shallow... but maybe if I dressed different..."_

_Her chance came when she overheard a conversation between Summer and her best friend Lisa Lavender (equally pretty, similarly kind, if Lisa asked Glynda out, the freshman wouldn't say no). They were stopped in front of a poster for a girl's pop group audition. Glynda had seen it before, but had little interest in it. She wasn't that musical, despite taking five years of dance when she was with her last family._

"_Do you really think you've got a chance, Sum? I bet girls from all over the country are going to be auditioning for this thing."_

_Summer smiled that irresistible smile. "Nah, Lisa, trust me. I don't know how much of a chance I've got, but I have one. See here? They're looking for area girls, in high school. As long as you've got parent permission, and you know I will, and you live within an hour of Vale, which I definitely do, you're eligible to apply."_

"_There's still going to be tons of girls applying."_

"_I know. But if I don't audition, I'll never know if I was good enough, if maybe I could have gotten in, and I'll always regret it. Hey, why don't you come too?"_

_Lisa snorted. "Thanks, but you know my passion is reporting, anchoring... maybe weather?..."_

If I don't audition, I'll never know, _Glynda's mind echoed._

_She probably wouldn't get in, but she had to take the chance. Otherwise, her "celebrity crush" was going to turn into... well, an _actual _celebrity crush._

_Then what chance would she have?_

* * *

"You can't possibly _know. _You only think you do." Glynda's voice was weak, just like her argument.

"You had an unrequited crush, you joined the group for her, the foster system tried to move you to a different family soon after so her parents adopted you and you lived together from the time you were fourteen and she was sixteen, and you fell deeper in love with her every day because she was even better than you dreamed," summarized the ice cream man.

It was accurate despite its brevity. Glynda's face soured.

"You know, I'm not trying to date you or anything," Ozpin said. "Even if I was, I'm sure I've ruined it by now. I just thought, hey, we're both grown adult humans, and I'd really like to be your friend. With no ulterior motives."

Despite herself, she raised an eyebrow. "None at all?"

"Not even one."

There was a beat of silence, then Glynda sighed. "No promises, but I'll _try _not to automatically distrust your every word."

* * *

_Call us liars, degenerates and killers. Psychos, heartless, insane criminals..._

"This is so _cool!" _squealed Ruby, fist-pumping beside her girlfriend. "I never thought this band would actually be _good... _I just wanted the ice cream!"

Velvet smiled. "If you'd asked me, I would have told you. Cinderblock's very good. I have their CD."

"Oh man, you should tell me all about them!" Ruby almost had to scream over the music in order to be heard. "They're all really cool! The emerald-haired one is cute and talented..."

"That's... ah, Emerald."

"And the multicolored hair one... how'd she get her hair like that?"

"Neo Politan. I think that must be a nickname, though. Who with the last name of 'Politan' would actually name their child 'Neo?'"

"And the guy on drums?"

"Mercury. Another name I'm hesitant about being real. Wasn't Mercury a god?" Velvet snickered. "I'm guessing they changed their names to sound cool... not that they aren't cool already, I mean... but..."

"So who's the dumb looking redhead, then? The one helping with vocals?"

"That's Roman. He's rumored to be a huge flirt, but he also doesn't like backing down from a challenge... I'd prefer if you're going to try to meet the band, you avoid him?"

"I promise," Ruby replied sincerely. "And the female vocalist?"

"That's Cinder Fall. I don't know much about her... or any of them, really. I just know their names, and I like the music. When I'm online and on music boards, I'm too busy promoting you guys to look at what they're saying about other bands, you know?" Velvet made an apologetic face.

"I get that," Ruby said, cheering with the crowd as one song finished and another began. "And, I mean, it's cool. I don't really see why you need to know all about the band to enjoy their music anyway. I love listening to my parents' old CDs, and granted, I know all about Mom and a lot about Mama, but I've got no clue who the third singer is, and I don't care that much." She paused, then amended, "But maybe I should ask Mom anyways. She likes talking about her days in Summer Storm."

"It's hard to imagine your mom reminiscing," Velvet laughed.

Ruby grinned and rolled her eyes, though not meanly. "Not for me!"

The crowd grew louder, and Ruby and Velvet shifted their attention back to the stage. Roman was going full force on his guitar, probably meaning to look cool, but only achieving a mediocre play at it. Still, the music was good, and the girls stopped talking, though their hands slipped together.

* * *

They'd been getting to know each other (if you could call it that when Ozpin knew almost everything Glynda had ever shared with the public, which was a lot) for an hour when the music stopped and dozens of people clamored outside for a smoke break. Ozpin smiled apologetically at Glynda. "I should be getting inside," he said. "Intermission means it's time for people to buy things, and you'll probably want to find your girls. Can I talk to you later?"

"Well, I mean, I don't just stop by ice cream shops on a daily basis, no matter what impression you may have gotten, but..."

Ozpin chuckled and reached into his pocket. When he pulled his hand out, he held a business card, which he handed to Glynda.

It was shaped like a scoop of mint ice cream. The woman raised an eyebrow.

Ozpin full on laughed then. "I have some shaped like books and coffee mugs too," he confided.

Glynda found herself unsure if he was joking or not.

"My email and my phone number are on that," Ozpin called back as he walked into the store. "Or I could just wait for your next ice cream craving. Whichever works."

Then he was gone, and she was surrounded by smokers. A part of her thought that Ozpin was right, and she should try to find her girls. The other wanted to bum a cigarette off someone and try to deal with the stress.

_But think, if you got addicted from that one cigarette (they said it could happen, right?) it'd be detrimental to Ruby's health and your singing voice would deteriorate._

Glynda sighed, cursed under her breath, and started to make a beeline for the door.

Picking her way through the crowd inside was tough. She didn't see her girls at the ice cream counter or the book checkout, though, so she decided to go down to the basement. In contrast, it was almost empty. Only a few scattered teens and the green haired punk were in Glynda's view. Still, despite the fact that it again seemed like her best bet, she was not anxious to go upstairs again.

"Well, well, well," said a familiar, feminine voice.

As she turned (why oh _why _did she turn?), Glynda's chest constricted and her breath grew shallow. The feeling of discomfort only increased as she stared eye to eye with her ex-best friend. Cinder's awful smirk was the same as ever. "Long time no see, little Glyn."

"Little?" Glynda growled.

Cinder tilted her head all too innocently. "Oh, you're right. You're all grown up. Didn't expect that. After all, I'm still young enough to be in a band with teenagers. And you're, what, coaching them from the sidelines?"

Glynda's eyes narrowed. "Maybe I wouldn't have had to if not for you."

"Quitting? I told you girls how to make me stay."

"I'm talking about Summer."

Cinder frowned. "What? Are you blaming me for _that? _I mean, I know they never solved the case, but..."

"Don't play innocent. I don't have proof, but you're the only one with motive."

Cinder gave a long, dramatic sigh. "It's been fourteen years. Move the fuck on. I didn't kill her, some psycho fan did. Go date some fucking goody-two-shoes girl. Maybe I can set you up with Emerald. Apart from some kleptomaniac tendencies, she's pretty straight... well, not _straight..._"

Glynda's face contorted into several emotions before she put on her best poker face and sighed. "I'm not talking to you anymore," she announced, then internally winced. _I sound like a child._

Cinder raised her head and smiled. "Hmmm. Maybe you don't want to date a good girl. Maybe you want to date someone _bad._"

She took a confident step in Glynda's direction, and, caught off guard, Glynda took a step back. She gave a little "oof" as her back hit a wall... she was cornered. _Fuck, _thought the woman.

One of Cinder's pale, long hands caressed Glynda's face gently... the other was pressed against the wall, arm outstretched, blocking Glynda in. "If you wanted to date me, all you had to do was ask, Glynda Jocaste Goodwitch. Ask, I mean, and apologize for ever doubting me. You know I'd never do anything _that _mean, after all. Unless you were into it."

"I am _not _into murder," Glynda stuttered, flustered.

"Well then. That settles it. We'll stick to other things. Just apologize."

"I'm not falling for your tricks. This is the same old story you used to do with the boys." A small part of Glynda wanted to ask Cinder, _since when do you date girls? _She ignored that small part of her.

Cinder smiled. "Forget what I used to do with boys, and focus on what we're going to do once you tell me what I want to hear."

Despite herself, Glynda was speechless. Cinder was stubborn and witty, good at quick thinking. Anything she said could be twisted and turned until the vocalist liked what it meant. Similarly, any silence could be perceived as submission, but it was better than saying something that could be taken as confirmation of such.

As expected, Cinder smirked. "Aren't you quiet? Maybe I should give you just a _taste _of what I can offer you." With a chuckle at the pun, she cradled Glynda's face carefully and leaned in close, until Glynda could smell her deceivingly innocent perfume (wasn't it that Taylor Swift stuff?).

"Hey, Cin! We're five minutes until the end of intermission! Can you wait to seduce your fans until after the show maybe?" a male voice called.

Cinder pulled back and shot the interrupter the bird. "When I seduce people is none of your concern, Roman." For a moment, it looked like she was going to go back to attempting to kiss Glynda, but then she took a quick look around. The basement was beginning to fill again, and Cinder cursed under her breath. "Next time," she promised. "For now, I have a show to be in. Not to brag, I'm sure the view from the sidelines is just as good."

Glynda opened her mouth to curse her former bandmate out, but with one last caress, Cinder was making her way through the ever-growing crowd, back to the stage. As she jumped back on, the crowd almost roared their approval.

Glynda realized vaguely she still had no idea where her girls were.

Then, she hoped desperately that none of them saw the scene that had just unfolded.


	5. Senior Skip Day

Glynda didn't end up finding her girls until after the concert had finished.

Almost half an hour after the concert had finished, actually.

The four girls stood outside the Copy and Cafe. From the shivers and the fact that Velvet had put her rabbit ear hoodie over Ruby's shoulders, it was obvious that they were cold, but they barely seemed to notice. Ruby seemed to be showing off something, but exactly what was obscured by the bunny ears. Around her, the other girls seemed very impressed, except for Nora, who was too focused on her ice cream.

Glynda pushed her way over to the group. "Where were you?" she demanded, though not too harshly. She had been worried, but not horribly so, and she never _said _they had to stick together.

"I was looking for Blake," Yang said. Glynda's mind again connected the name to the raven-haired employee.

Nora silently held up her ice cream cone, then took another lick.

"Vel and I were getting merch!" Ruby said excitedly, and turned to face her mom. She handed Velvet's hoodie back to its owner and stretched out her shirt so both she and her mother could see it. "Look! I got an official tee shirt!"

_Fuck, _Glynda cursed silently. Of all things she didn't consider would come from tonight. Why did her daughter have to be a fan of _Cinder Fall's band? _Things couldn't get any worse.

"I wanted to get the lead vocalist to sign it, but I couldn't find her," Ruby said with a small pout. "I guess she was off doing important band vocalist things. I hope I get to meet her someday though! She's so cool!"

_And this, Glynda, is why you never think or say any variation of "things can't get worse." _Why did her daughter have to specifically be a fan of Cinder Fall?

She debated saying something, but what did she say? _Ruby, Cinder is a very dangerous, seductive woman who I do not want you in any way involved with? _Maybe _I've met Cinder, and I in no way want her anywhere around my family? _Even a simple _She's too old for you?_

Only Ruby was many things, two of them being _curious _and _stubborn. _If Glynda showed any bad blood towards the leader of Cinderblock, it would probably drag her daughter into the feud, which was one of the very things that Glynda wanted her nowhere near. The blonde woman offered up a silent prayer to Summer. _Let's keep Ruby out of this mess, Sum. I'll play nice with Cinder if it means that Ruby never finds out how I think you died, never finds out how destructive Cinder can be. Summer, if you have any sway up there in heaven, please keep that woman far away from our daughter._

The ironic part was, upon thought, that didn't seem like a very Summer thing to do at all. Summer wanted Ruby to grow up with Cinder; Summer wanted Glynda to be so much more forgiving than Glynda could ever be. If Summer were here, but somehow things were the same, she'd have Glynda call Cinder right then and there so Ruby would get to meet her newest idol. But Summer, while kind, sweet, and loving, was not always right, and that was further proven by the fact that she was very dead and Glynda remained alive.

Glynda put on her best smile. "I didn't expect you girls to be into rock and metal."

"I didn't expect it either, but hey, it's catchy!" Ruby grinned. "Maybe we can try to do something in that genre, just as an experiment."

"Perhaps for the next album. Right now we have a tour set to focus on. You're definitely behind on some of your dances, and I will not let you add any new songs until you can prove you can handle the ones you have." The woman put on her strictest face as Nora grinned, Velvet nodded seriously, and Ruby looked at her shoes, making a slightly guilty face.

Yang threw her arm around Glynda. "Awww, but Glyn! It's just for fun. I mean, we're not a rock band, but you can't, like, totally forbid us from trying new sounds out."

"No, I can't, but I can ground Ruby," said Glynda slyly.

Her daughter looked up. "What! Why?"

Glynda could almost feel the wicked, teasing gleam in her eyes. "You still have to go to school, and if I feel like your experimentation gets in the way of your education..."

"Mom!" Ruby protested, but all the girls were laughing.

To them, it was only a joke, this idea that Glynda didn't want them to be anything like Cinderblock.

* * *

Glynda woke the next morning to the sound of her cell phone ringing.

Groggily, she rolled over and picked it up, pressing it against her ear a bit too hard. "Do you know what time it is?" she demanded, though she had no clue what the call was for. Anyone who had her cell number would be someone she knew personally, after all, someone used to her brusque attitude.

"Miss Goodwitch!" said a voice, male, familiar but almost forgotten.

Glynda thought hard about who it might be. Not Ozpin... good thing, too, she was having enough trouble with her fan without him waking her up. Tukson and her barely spoke, except on facebook. James Ironwood? The thought was laughable.

"You do know who this is?" the voice asked again with a small chuckle at the end.

"Of course I do... Junior?" Glynda chanced a guess and hoped she was right.

The voice's chuckle became a low, belting laugh. "I thought you'd forgotten me for a minute there, Small Stuff," he said, using his old nickname for her.

"I doubt it would be possible," Glynda answered. "That said, hasn't it been almost ten years since we last spoke?"

"Almost exactly that. Tried to reach you five years ago, too, but life got in the way, you know how it is."

"I do know how it is. And you never call me without a reason, but I can't think of any reason a publicity manager would call _me. _You know that the Queens of the Castle are signed, and you know that we have someone doing their publicity. Besides, aren't you busy with the Malachite sisters lately?"

"So you do still read up about the biz. I knew about Queens of the Castle from the web, yeah, knew you were involved and all, but I didn't know you were actually still on the up and up. But yeah, you're right, Small Stuff. This isn't about them... it's about you."

Glynda said nothing.

After a moment of silence, Junior seemed to realize that his old client would not be the one to break it. He continued. "It's coming up on fifteen years since the release of the final Summer Storm CD. I want to do some publicity for it, spark a little excitement in the old fans. Thing is, I called Cinder, and she wants nothing to do with it. She said she was handing the complete power and responsibility to you."

"She never should have been called," said Glynda hotly. "She quit before we officially broke up."

She could almost see Junior wave a big hand dismissively. "She quit only a month before then, the fans barely even knew it. Anyway, I've set up a few interviews for you, gave them your cell number, and if they go well, we'll see about a CD rerelease, maybe a one person tour? It all depends on you, Small Stuff. Anyway, I really do have the Malachites to attend to, and you should be getting a phone call any moment, so I'll let you go. I'll call you soon to see how things are going."

He hung up before Glynda could protest. She cursed extensively and sighed. _Just what I need. Another reminder of how fucked up my life is. _Since the break up, every single interview she had done had been the same... her feelings on Cinder, how much she missed Summer, how it felt to be the "angle-less" member of the group. It was a cacophony of bad memories, without fail.

True to Junior's word, the phone rang once again, and this time she picked up more formally. _I'll have to change my number. _"Glynda Goodwitch speaking."

"Glynda!"

This voice was familiar. Female, enunciated, slightly nasal, but in a way that could only be known as cute to Glynda. It was a voice she'd first heard in high school, accompanied by an unattainable girl who grew to become one of the woman's best friends.

"Lisa," Glynda greeted warmly. "Business, or pleasure?"

"Both, if you'll allow it. Hei Xiong called, said something about getting you on Vale News Network. It made me think I should call you and see if there are any good dates for you. One, for getting you on the news. Two, for coffee. It's been forever."

It was funny, reflected Glynda, how with her and Lisa, forever meant a month or so, and with Junior, him calling her after ten years still almost seemed too soon.

"I usually spend all days off school rehearsing with the girls. When Ruby is in school, I'm generally free, though. It's currently spring break for Signal High, but we could get together next Monday and talk about both?"

"Sounds good!" Lisa agreed. "And speaking of Ruby, do you know when her graduation is?"

"About five weeks from now. We've got her robes hanging in my closet. I'll tell you as soon as I have an exact date."

"Thank you, Glyn. Anyways, I should really not talk when I'm at work... see you three days from now, Monday?"

"Of course."

"Where and when?"

Glynda paused. "Any time between eight and three is good for me," she said slowly. "Do you know Ozpin's Copy and Cafe downtown?"

* * *

"Velvet and I are off to school now, Mom!" Ruby called as she left the kitchen on Monday morning. Glynda trailed after her daughter, walking with Ruby through the foyer and to the front door. "Rehearsal starts at four, right?"

"Yes. Don't be late," ordered Glynda.

From their doorstep, Velvet waved. "Have a good day, Glynda!" she said.

"Yeah!" Ruby agreed. "Have a good day! We'll see you later!" And the girls ran off to Velvet's car.

Glynda stopped before heading out the door and looked at the picture of herself, her girlfriend, and Cinder. She looked to the door, to where Ruby had just stood. She looked back to the picture.

_Will Ruby recognize Cinder now? Now that she's seen her in real life?_

She took the picture down.

* * *

"Sorry I'm late," Glynda said as she slid into one of the outdoor tables in front of Ozpin's shop.

Across from her, Lisa laughed. "That's normally my line. Did Ruby get off to school alright?"

"Just fine. It was my own mistake that caused me to run a bit behind." _My mistakes indeed._

Lisa cracked a grin and ran a hand through her hair, prematurely white and cut in a snappy, professional style that was nothing like she would have worn eighteen years ago when they first met. "I think it's the first time I've ever been somewhere before you, Glyn."

"Things have been hectic recently."

"Oh? Do tell."

"This isn't going to be recorded, is it?"

Lisa shook her head. "Nothing will. We just need to set a date to get you on air. That's all the business I really need you for, that and reading what I wrote to introduce you with. But we'll get to that later... spill the beans for now."

Glynda took a breath, then recounted most of the events of the last few days.

By the end, Lisa was staring at the facade of the coffee shop. "Sounds like a lot," she commented. "So let me get this straight. You met a fan, didn't trust him, he had a concert the next day with Cinder, who you also don't trust. Because of this, you had uncomfortable confrontations with both of them."

When she put it that way, it sounded kind of dumb. Glynda cleared her throat. "It wasn't just uncomfortable, I mean... I have reasonable doubts..."

"Glynda." Lisa interrupted her friend unceremoniously. "I love you, but you are one of the most distrustful and salty people I know."

"Salty? What does that even mean?"

Wordlessly, Lisa pulled out her phone, looked up the word on Urban Dictionary, scrolled down a bit, and handed it to Glynda.

Glynda read the definition, and her face grew hot. "I-I am not salty!" she sputtered.

Lisa smiled and shrugged apologetically. "Just calling it as I see it," she said.

For a moment, the blonde stared down her friend. It was true... Lisa was one of the few people in the world that Glynda trusted completely. This was mainly due to her complete honesty and determination to alert the world to any truths, however uncomfortable. As much as Glynda wanted to deny it, if Lisa thought she was distrustful and... salty... it wasn't a lie.

"You think I'm being too hard on them?" sighed the younger woman.

Lisa nodded. "Yeah. Cinder especially. You used to be best friends."

"That was before Summer died, and..."

"I really doubt she killed Summer."

Glynda glared at her friend's interruption, and continued as though it hadn't happened. "And last night made me feel disgusting. I don't know why she was trying to kiss me, but if she thought that was going about it the right way, she was wrong."

"Fair enough." Lisa shrugged. "I'm not going to discount your feelings there. If you were uncomfortable, she shouldn't have kept forcing herself on you. It's not like body language isn't readable or anything. She has no excuse, old friend or not."

A silence fell, one of the only uncomfortable ones that the two had ever experienced. Lisa was the one to shatter it. "So, here's how I'm going to introduce you..."

* * *

Lunchtime at Signal High School was always interesting, but especially lunchtime right after a major school break. Through the din of voices, Velvet, Ruby, and their school friends Coco, Yatsuhashi, and Fox spoke loudly to be heard by one another.

"And I didn't think that I'd like it, but I did!" Ruby announced, recalling the previous night. "They're all so cool!"

"Does cool mean double when coming from a celebrity?" Fox wondered. "Have you tried tweeting about it yet?"

"Fox!" Velvet scolded. "Stop teasing Ruby."

"You know, Neo is actually my cousin," Coco said, adjusting her darkly tinted glasses coolly. "No promises, but I could see if I could set you up to meet them."

Ruby's eyes grew wide. "Really?"

"If you promise you can play it cool. They're not really the types for drama."

"I can play it _so cool!_" Ruby exclaimed.

Coco raised an eyebrow. "On the other hand..."

"Please?" Velvet asked. "I'd like to meet them too."

Coco looked at Velvet, then back to Ruby. "No promises," she repeated, with a small little smirk.

The lunch bell rang, but it could barely be heard out of the happy squeal that Ruby Rose let out.

* * *

They had set the date of the interview for Wednesday, which was soon, but that was a good thing. As much as Glynda loved Lisa, she did not look forward to being on television for the first time in lord knew how long. It was with a bit of foresight and much regret over previous interviews that she'd asked Lisa to throw in things besides Summer.

_Her friend had given an apologetic shrug. "I can throw in other things, sure. We can talk about QotC a lot. But you know as well as I... Summer's going to come up. The world loved her. She was my best friend since elementary school, and you dated her, and they know that. If we didn't talk about her, what message would that send?"_

_"We're moving on," Glynda half-asked._

_Lisa snorted. "As much as you can. And I don't think that's too much, not when she was killed by an unidentified killer, not when you've never started dating again. Not when it was someone like her."_

They'd come to an uneasy compromise... Summer would have to be brought up, but no questions would ask about her death specifically.

Now, on the day of, Glynda was as prepared as she could be. She wondered why she didn't just say no to Junior when he called. _He's done so much for me and Summer, that's why. Besides, Lisa's my friend. Job or no, she won't try to cause pain to me for the sake of television._

With papers signed and her resolve set, Glynda sat in the green room impatiently, her only distraction being to prepare possible answers in her head. The interview would be live, so she had no desire to screw up.

A tall techie popped into the room. "Ms. Goodwitch? It's time."

Silently, gracefully, Glynda rose and followed the person away from the comfort of the green room and into the hallways of Vale News Network. Through the speakers, she could hear the introduction she had okayed with Lisa: _"It's been fifteen years since the debut of _Huntress, _the final album of local pop sensations Summer Storm. This world-renowned girl group from the early 2000s went the way of many groups with separation, but the ways their remaining members go about showcasing their talents even still are far from usual."_

Glynda and the techie stopped at a stage door.

"_With this, we'd like to welcome special guest Glynda Goodwitch..."_

Without prodding from the techie, Glynda confidently walked onto the set amidst polite clapping. She blinked as she looked around. A huge studio audience... okay, she knew about that. Lisa, looking just as comfortable as the host of the news' local morning talk show segment as she did as the noontime anchor, looking comfortable but professional as always. Two empty chairs, one of which she found herself automatically moving towards, sitting in.

"And," Lisa said, clearing her throat in an odd way, especially considering she was on live television, "Cinder Fall."

Cinder walked in, beaming for all she could. The crowd burst into applause.

Glynda fought the urge to narrow her eyes. _Two times in a week. What the fuck is Cinder up to?_

* * *

Ruby and Velvet flashed their tickets to the person at the door, and he nodded and let them in. They giggled, nervously, and walked through the halls of Vale News Network, looking for Stage 4.

"I can't believe Coco actually got us tickets," said Velvet.

"Tickets for a talk show that only Cinder's showing up on," Ruby pointed out.

Velvet shrugged. "Well, I mean... she can't do much more than talk to Neo. Besides, we might still be able to meet her afterwards, right?"

"If they haven't figured out we're skipping back at Signal and called my mom," Ruby noted.

Velvet gave a guilty smile, and Ruby laughed.

They kept talking as they looked for the stage, ignoring the sounds of the intercom blasting news, and when they finally found it they almost slunk in, excited, but nervous of the consequences leaving school might bring. "This had better be really awesome," Ruby said.

"We're both eighteen," Velvet pointed out, almost hopefully.

Ruby snorted. "Yeah, but that won't stop my mom."

With a fanfare, the speakers in the room kicked on. "Good morning Vale!"

Lisa Lavender beamed at the audience as she walked onto the set. Ruby bit her lip. Lisa was a good friend of her mom's, not to mention someone who had spent her fair amount of time with Ruby herself. If Lisa saw her, it was probably all over.

"It's been fifteen years since the debut of _Huntress_, the final album of local pop sensations Summer Storm," Lisa said, and the crowd applauded politely. The reporter continued without missing a beat. "This world-renowned girl group from the early 2000s went the way of many groups with separation, but the ways their remaining members go about showcasing their talents even still are far from usual."

"Coco got us into the wrong segment!" Velvet groaned, but Ruby froze. If this was going where she suspected, it was only going to get worse.

"With this, we'd like to welcome special guest Glynda Goodwitch..."

Glynda walked in, and confirmed Ruby's worst suspicions.

"And Cinder Fall."

As Cinder walked in, Ruby could feel her girlfriend's eyes on her. "Ruby," asked Velvet, "You didn't know about this, did you?"

Ruby shook her head slowly. "I had no idea."


	6. Summer's Days

_Summer was the only person Glynda knew at the audition, and she didn't even _really_ know Summer._

_The fourteen year old crossed and uncrossed her ankles on the uncomfortable bench she sat on. The Vale City Dance Academy waiting room was bustling... at least one hundred local girls must have shown up. Though Glynda could not have pointed out another Signal High student if her life depended on it, she was sure there had to be plenty. Only four schools were in the radius required, and they were all large city schools. It wasn't so weird for the blonde teenager to feel so alone._

"_Aren't you a little young to be auditioning?" purred a voice from above her._

_Glynda looked away from her one familiar face towards a very unfamiliar one, her pink cheeks puffing out indignantly. "Not at all. I'm fourteen." _

_The girl asking her smirked and raised a thin eyebrow inquisitively. She was tall and thin, with barely any curves to speak of (though when it came to curves, Glynda was not one to talk). Her eyes were a fairytale hazel, pale enough to be mistaken as gold, and her hair curled in a way that was definitely not natural... Glynda, with her natural, untamed, unattractive curls could tell that in a heartbeat. Even though her entire look screamed "hair curlers and contact lenses!" Glynda found her heart beating ever faster. "Eighth grade?" asked the girl._

"_I'm a freshman."_

"_Same difference." _

_Glynda frowned. "Not really."_

_The girl's smirk grew into a grin, albeit one that still carried hints of sarcasm. "You're spunky, aren't you? I like that. What's your name?"_

_The blonde hesitated for a moment and looked back to the girl, taking in details forgotten in her first appraisal. The girl wore a too-big Sanctum High School letterman jacket (it seemed to belong to a football player by the name of Cyril) over a vintage-looking dress that seemed to hail from the 1920s. Heels and a crystal charm anklet completed the ensemble. After a moment of consideration, Glynda decided to entrust the girl with the desired answer, if only so she could ask another question. "Glynda Goodwitch. How are you going to dance in heels?"_

_The girl's smirk was back. "Very carefully."_

"_Do I get to know your name?"_

"_If only so you can remember it. Cinder Fall."_

"_Pleased to meet you."_

"_Same, I guess. So. What's your hook?"_

_Glynda blinked. "My... hook?"_

"_You know," said Cinder. "Enthusiastic, weird, ditzy, girl-next-door, sexy... the thing that makes you different than any other hopeful."_

"_I..." Glynda faltered. A hook? Was "curly haired nerd who likes libraries and girls" a hook? Even if it was, was it the kind of hook that they were looking for here? "What's yours?" she asked defensively._

_Cinder smirked yet again (did she have any other expressions?) and opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted._

"_Excuse me? Are you two doing okay?"_

_Glynda and Cinder looked away from each other, only to see Summer Rose standing beside them. "It looked like it was getting a little intense over here," said Glynda's secret crush._

"_It's fine," Cinder said. "I was just trying to scope out the competition. On that note... you are?"_

"_I'm Summer," said Summer, in a voice like her name. "And you?"_

"_Cinder Fall." _

_Summer turned to Glynda with her mouth open, obviously intending to ask the fourteen year old who she was. However, she stopped, and her eyes lit up. "I know you!" she proclaimed joyfully. "You go to my school, don't you? You're a freshman!" Then, she frowned. "I'm really sorry, though, I can't remember your name."_

"_Oh, no, it's fine," Glynda assured Summer. "My name is Glynda Goodwitch."_

"_Like from the Wizard of Oz!"_

_Glynda shrugged. "I like to imagine I was named for the Wicked character, actually."_

"_Wicked?" Summer seemed curious, and Glynda lit up._

"_See, it's this book by Gregory Maguire that's a retelling..."_

_Cinder rolled her eyes very noticeably. "Are you going to ramble on about some silly book right before auditions?" _

_Summer looked back towards Cinder and beamed. "Oh, sorry! I guess we were kind of excluding you, weren't we? So, Cinder! Are you excited to audition? What are you going to sing?"_

"_Why should I tell you?" asked Cinder, flipping her black curls. "We're competition."_

That didn't stop you from grilling me, _Glynda thought snarkily._

"_Not for sure!" Summer said, her voice confident and calm. "There's got to be at least three positions to have a legitimate girl group, right? It could easily be us!"_

_Cinder and Glynda raised their eyebrows. _Huh, _thought Glynda, _I guess Cinder's a little like me after all.

"_Don't act so doubtful! We never know what could happen. Let's decide not to act like competition, even at an audition like this. Let's decide to be friends."_

* * *

"Summer really did have a way of making her wishes reality, didn't she?" Lisa asked with a grin. "I know that better than anyone."

Cinder lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. "It wasn't just magical wishing. When the producers and director came out, they found it intriguing. Other girls sat quietly with a single friend, and most of them were all alone. Some were practicing... some were fidgeting. We were the only group that looked united and relaxed, and it played into their decision to pick us as a unit, rather than hope for chemistry with other girls."

"Which does," Glynda argued, glaring at her rival, "make it exactly Summer's brand of wishful magic. If not for her, they would have seen two high schoolers arguing. We both have her to thank for where we are in life."

Lisa seemed to feel the tension, and changed the subject swiftly. "And where you both are in life differs immensely. Cinder, your current project is the dark-metal-slash-alternative-rock band Cinderblock, where you star alongside local musicians Roman Torchwick, Neo Politan, Emerald Sustrai, and Mercury Black. It's quite a departure from what your fans expected of you!"

"Quite," acknowledged Cinder. "I find it a lot easier, though. There isn't so much pressure for me to take a backseat, or not explore my darker thoughts. I write the songs. I sing the songs. People like it. I often felt like a third wheel in Summer Storm. I'm happy I'm now at a new chapter in my life."

_Pretty way of saying it, _Glynda thought.

"And Glynda, you're part of the movement trying to bring girl groups and boy bands back and prove that they aren't just for the nineties. You're singlehandedly managing, training, and producing the pop-rock teen sensation Queens of the Castle, consisting of local college student Nora Valkyrie, your niece Yang Xiao Long, and your and Summer's daughter Ruby! Do you get a lot of people claiming that they're Summer Storm's next generation?"

Glynda nodded. "But they aren't. They're a very different group. The only things that Summer Storm gave to them was Ruby herself and the audition process. When I went searching for the next girl pop sensation, I went searching for the same unity and friendship Summer inspired us to have."

* * *

"Oh," said Ruby's mom, "By the way, I'm not doing this singlehandedly, as you said. The girls have a great publicity manager and rehearsal accompanist that wishes to remain anonymous. I won't share her name, but I do want to acknowledge her. Without her hard work, life would be so much more difficult."

Ruby elbowed Velvet. "She's talking about you!"

Velvet smiled and shook her head. "I don't even know how you can acknowledge that right now. Aren't you still in shock? Your mom knows Cinder. Really, really well. Aren't you even a little curious about that?"

"Of course I am!" Ruby protested. Her face quickly turned sheepish, though. "But I'm not sure how to bring it up without my mom finding out that we skipped school... so it's better to not think about it until I can find a way to do that, right?"

"I guess. It'd drive me up a wall, though." Velvet laughed softly. "You're stronger than I am, Ruby."

Ruby grinned. "Let's just hope I'm strong enough to get us both away without Lisa or Mom seeing us."

* * *

As soon as the interview was over, Glynda walked from the studio in a daze, with too many questions to even consider grilling Lisa about. _Why did Cinder show up after telling Junior she wouldn't? Why didn't Lisa tell me? Why did Cinder act so civil? What's going on? How is it that everything is going wrong so quickly, all at once?"_

She pulled out her cellphone, checked the time, and sighed. It wasn't even noon; there were still hours before Ruby got out of school and she could drown herself in QotC rehearsals. There was too much time to kill, for once in her life.

Glynda sighed and dug her hands into her pockets. Her fingers hit a smooth edge, and she pulled out a stiff piece of cardstock, cut perfectly into an odd shape.

She looked at it for a moment. Ozpin's business card.

Glynda decided to go get ice cream.

* * *

She thought she'd have to ask for Ozpin, but he was right at the front, manning the cash register alone. An older woman sat by herself in the corner, reading a cheap Harlequin romance novel, but other than she and them, the store was empty. "What happened to your employees?" Glynda asked.

Ozpin grinned, and it was lopsided. "They're all college students. Most of them are in class. Besides, I rarely get rushed this time of day. I don't sell lunch food, just pastries, coffee, ice cream, and books. I can handle it myself most of the time. So. Here to chat, or here to get something?"

"Both. I've found myself with a few unscheduled hours, and I don't know of anywhere else to spend it."

"Don't they have a green room at the Vale News Network studios?"

Glynda froze. "How did you know about that? How did you know I was there?"

"It was live, and I own a television." Ozpin pointed to the corner of the room. Sure enough, an outdated television hung there, set to the same channel that Glynda had recently appeared on. "You weren't expecting Cinder to be there, were you? You didn't look happy about it."

"Was I that obvious?"

"I'm afraid so. Has anyone ever told you that you wear your heart on your sleeve?"

Glynda narrowed her eyes at the accusation, annoyed that he could read her that well when he barely even knew her.

"Now you're annoyed that I can read you that well, aren't you?" chuckled Ozpin.

"You know," said Glynda, "I don't _have _to be here... I could take my business somewhere else..."

Ozpin's chuckle turned into a laugh. "Come on, sit down. I'll get you a milkshake. My treat."

He was halfway to the freezer before he turned back to her with an expression like a lost puppy dog. "Uh, I just realized. You've never ordered ice cream from me before, have you? What kind do you like, anyway?"

Glynda sighed, smiled, and sat down at one of the tables. "I've always been one for the more simplistic flavors of ice cream. Vanilla, chocolate, coffee. Nothing with chunks or add-ins."

"Not even strawberry?"

"Not even that. Mint is my favorite, but it's hard to find mint without chocolate chips."

Ozpin nodded. "I don't have any plain mint. I could try to order some, though."

Glynda shook her head. "Don't do that just on my account."

"No, no, of course not. I've never had plain mint ice cream, I'm sure others haven't either." Ozpin scooped vanilla ice cream into a cup and started to add milk. "It'll be a novelty flavor." He inserted the mixer into the cup and ran it until the shake was creamy. "I bet it'll sell well." Whipped cream. Cherry.

"You're just grasping at straws to do something nice for me," Glynda noted.

"What?"

"I'm not the only one who wears their heart on their sleeve."

"I bet it would sell, though," Ozpin said as he brought the shake out to Glynda. He sat it on the table with a colorful straw and slid into the seat across from her. "We could call it 'Glynda Goodwitch's Just Plain Mint.'"

"That sounds awful." Glynda took a sip of her shake. It was a different consistency than the shakes she was used to, but still good. "By the way, I don't care what you said... I _am _going to pay you for this."

"Okay, then, 'Summer Mint Storm.' And no, you aren't."

Glynda shook her head and resolved to slide a few dollars onto the counter when the ice cream man wasn't paying attention. _With business practices like he has, I'll be surprised if he manages to last a year without going bankrupt. Two of the three times I've been here he's given out free ice cream._

"'Queens of the Mint Castle,'" Ozpin suggested.

"Stop grasping at straws, I don't need a flavor, especially one nobody but me would buy." But she was laughing, if only a little. The idea of a flavor of ice cream named for her was funny, but not that funny... not until you combined it with bad naming. "Besides," Glynda said. "If you had to, it would have to be called 'Glynda Danced Too Hard Mint.'"

"Why that?" Ozpin asked. He was smiling.

"A bad experience when I was sixteen with an all-day rehearsal and an ice cream parlor that has long since went out of business."

"They had mint there?"

Glynda shook her head. "The name refers to the color my face was, not the flavor I chose."

"Oh. _Ohhhh._"

"That's between you and me, by the way."

"Of course," Ozpin said, his lopsided smile playing on his face full-force. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

"Mom, I'm home! How late are we rehearsing today, Quest comes on tonight."

Glynda sighed. "I know we shouldn't do this... but are you alright with taking the night off?"

Ruby walked from the foyer into the living room. The expression she wore was odd. "I... I guess. I was all ready for it, but I mean. I'm not gonna turn down a day off." Her speech was stilted, as though she were trying to avoid something and not having much luck. "I guess I'll call Nora and Yang, then go over to Velvet's for a while."

"Sounds good," Glynda said, looking her daughter up and down. "But before you go... how was school?"

Ruby froze. "Oh. It was school. I learned stuff."

"Good to hear." _Ruby isn't telling me something. But she is eighteen, and a sensible eighteen at that. If I need to know, she'll tell me._

The redhead started towards the foyer quickly, as though she was eager to go. At the door, however, she stopped. "Mom, why did you take down the big picture of Summer Storm?"

Glynda bit her lip. There it was, the question she wanted to avoid... though if days like that day kept happening, avoidance would soon be impossible. "It's time for a change," Glynda said instead. "I'm going to try to find a new picture."

"Oh," said Ruby. Her voice had tones of disappointment. "Well, maybe you can find one of me and you and Mama."

"Maybe."

"I'll see you later."

"Call me when you have an idea of how late you'll be out."

"Okay. I love you. Bye."

"I love you too. Have a nice time."

Ruby left, and Glynda stared after her.

_Why do I feel like there was more to that conversation than either of us knew?_


	7. Sacrifice

The next morning, the phone rang. The number was not unrecognized now... Glynda, careful to check, had added its owner to her contacts. "Hi, Junior," she said as she answered.

"You did great on that interview, Small Stuff!" he exclaimed. The excitement in his voice was almost a tangible thing. Somehow, though, inexplicably, a hint of annoyance played into it. "Just one thing I don't get. You could have _told _me Cinder changed her mind." _Ah, that's why. _

"I didn't know myself. It was as much as a surprise to me as it was to you."

"Okay then." Junior let out a big laugh. "Well then, I guess I'm planning these for both my Summer Storm girls now..."

Glynda frowned, though she knew her old publicity manager couldn't see it over the phone. "Are we sure she wants to continue? Perhaps this was a one-time thing."

"Hmmm, maybe. Tell you what. You call her and find out, then get back with me when you do." Glynda opened her mouth to protest, but Junior wasn't finished. "No, wait, just see if there's anything she's immediately interested in, and get _her_ to call me back. I'll be waiting for her call."

"Junior..."

"Thanks, Small Stuff, I can always count on you!"

The line went dead. Glynda cursed and shoved her cell phone back into her purse. She sighed. _I don't even know Cinder's number. I don't even know if I have a way to get it. I wonder if anyone in the neighborhood has a phonebook..._

She cursed again. Even if someone had something that antiquated, what were the chances that a celebrity like Cinder was actually listed? Glynda sure as hell wasn't.

_I could always just not call her. For now, that's the easiest option, but Junior is counting on me, and he'll know something happened if Cinder just doesn't call. There's no escape... so how can I contact Cinder Fall?_

She didn't have any idea. Lately, Cinder had just shown up without warning or any clues at all. At the interview. At Ozpin's concert.

Wait.

Cinder couldn't just have shown up there. She would have to make arrangements. Ozpin might know how to reach her because of that.

For the first time in the two weeks she'd known him, Glynda Goodwitch was glad that she had allowed herself to befriend the ice cream man.

* * *

"So, you want me to give you Cinder Fall's phone number?"

"Right," Glynda confirmed. She crossed her ankles for luck as she looked Ozpin right in the eyes.

The middle-aged man sat across from her, smiling slightly. His hazel eyes were amused under his glasses, and he swept a hand through his silver hair. "Doesn't that destroy about ninety percent of confidentiality agreements?"

"Well, I wouldn't say it was that much, but... yes."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow, waiting patiently for an explanation.

"Junior called..."

"Junior?"

"Oh." Glynda shook her head, trying to clear it of distractions. _Stupid. You know most people don't know him as that, and especially not fans. _"Hei Xiong. He was our publicity manager and probably the person who helped us in Summer Storm out the most, next to Bartholomew..."

Ozpin blinked blankly.

"Bartholomew Oobleck. Our director and choreographer," Glynda said. _Do staff really get so little credit that even the most enthusiastic of fans don't know who they are? Is this what I have to look forward to with QotC? _"Anyway. Junior called. He's in charge of our, quote 'reunion tour,' end quote." Glynda sighed and shook her head. "If anyone could pull off a one person reunion tour, it would be him."

"Hold on. One person?"

"Cinder originally declined all appearances, leaving all responsibility for Summer Storm in my hands. When she showed up to the interview, it was a complete surprise for both of us."

"So you need to get in contact her to see if she's going to do it again."

Glynda nodded. _He follows this fairly well. _

Ozpin raised an eyebrow again. "I don't know Miss Fall very well. I don't know you very well either. But from what I understand, even if I give you her cellphone number, she'll probably refuse to tell you when she'll appear."

"I expect that. Unfortunately, calling her is still my best bet."

The man stretched and cracked his knuckles. "I disagree. I don't think I can, in good conscience, give you her personal cellphone number."

Glynda narrowed her eyes. _Thanks a lot._

"But I do have her concert schedule... she gave it to me so I could work around it for the event last week. And," he said, pulling it out, "it looks like tonight she's playing at the Dust to Dawn club. Ages twenty-one and over, so you don't even have to worry about your girls."

"Are you saying..."

"You go down and get the information out of her yourself."

Glynda stared at him for a moment, her mouth hanging wide open. After a few seconds she regained composure and shook her head. "That," she said, "is a horrible idea."

* * *

_This was a horrible idea._

Dust to Dawn, an old convenience store turned tiny nightclub, was packed to the brim with Beacon University students... and if Glynda was seeing right, some of Ruby and Velvet's Signal High classmates, probably armed with fake driver's licenses and older friends to vouch for them. It was an effort for the older woman to weave her way through the crowd to the stage, and only got harder the closer she got. A few kids stared at her for a moment, and Glynda wondered vaguely if she stood out. She was only thirty-four, young to be a mother of a grown adult, and many said she looked even younger than she was... but maybe she was finally starting to look her age.

She vowed to be twenty-nine if someone asked.

She wished she had a drink in her hand, but didn't want to cut through even more crowd to get there, nor face Cinder even slightly tipsy. Her head was best clear for a confrontation like this one.

"Well, well. Glynda, I didn't expect to see you here."

_Here we go, _the blonde woman thought and turned to face her ex-best friend.

Cinder stood there, as Glynda had expected. Her tall, slim body was highlighted with a slinky red dress. "And you're looking so thoughtful, too, not even caught up in the spirit. Speaking of spirits... aren't you going to get something to drink?"

"I'm not here for that," Glynda snapped.

"Of course not. You're here to see me, aren't you. Not just that though, not so innocent. You want something. You must."

Glynda was silent for a second. She hadn't expected to be confronted this soon; she hadn't expected to be read like a book right off the bat. "That's correct," she said, in as proud and confident a voice as she could muster.

"And let me guess. It has something... no, everything... to do with my surprise appearance yesterday?"

"Yes. Junior sent me to find out if your surprise reunion has more on it's schedule."

"Junior?" Cinder chuckled. "'Senior' might be a more apt name now. He's in his sixties, Glynda. He forgets that I _did _call him. He must have. I made sure he knew. How else do you think I got onto the show?"

Glynda had kind of assumed that she had just shown up. For the first time, she considered that it probably was not a realistic thought.

She cleared her throat, though she could not even hear the sound over the loudness of the club. "Alright then. Let me remind him just what else you plan to crash."

Cinder placed a finger to her chin thoughtfully and smiled. "To be honest, Glynda, I can't quite bring myself to care to remember. Of course, I could think harder if..."

"If what?"

Cinder looked Glynda dead in the eyes. "A couple weeks ago, I saw the name _Ruby Rose _signed onto Cinderblock's fan-newsletter sign up, along with her own official fanmail email. Isn't that what you used to do to keep your personal email clear? Sign up for things with your fanmail account?"

Glynda blushed. That was, in fact, something she had done. It was something she had taught her daughter. _It may not be playing out well now, but at least Ruby listens to me._

"Remember when Ruby used to call me Aunt Cinder? Summer loved that, and you did too. I'm... _highly insulted, _to say the least. When I decide to pursue my own dreams, you shun me and blame me for the death of one of my best friends. Do you remember that Summer made me Ruby's godmother? Did that go away when she died instead of making that relationship stronger?" Cinder's face, previously smug and haughty, had at some point descended into anger, and maybe even hurt. "She's _mine. _Maybe not as much as she is _yours,"_ the metal singer sneered, "but I have a right to see her, and you know it."

"You'll tell me what Junior wants if I let you see her," Glynda surmised.

"Exactly."

Strobe lights flashed around the two women, making it difficult for Glynda to think. Not that she needed to. Her first instinct was to protect her daughter from this dangerous woman... to say no.

Still, as she opened her mouth to respond, she found herself having to stop and reconsider. This wasn't what Summer wanted. And, Glynda decided reluctantly, what really were the chances that Cinder had actually killed Ruby's mama?

The blonde woman looked away. "You'll meet me at my home at exactly eight in the evening tomorrow night. Are you available?"

"For Ruby? Of course." Glynda could hear the smirk in her ex-friend's voice.

"So will you give me the information I need now?"

Cinder laughed. "Tomorrow at eight. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a show."

"Of course."

Cinder walked away without another word, back towards the stage. Glynda briefly considered sticking around, but within five seconds, found herself turning and heading back towards the door of the small, cramped club.

* * *

From the moment Ruby got home from school, she knew it was going to be a long night.

Her mother was sitting on the couch, eyes narrowed, hands steepled. "Ruby," she said as the redheaded girl walked in, "sit down."

_Oh crap oh crap she knows I skipped, doesn't she, _the teenager thought, and she could feel herself breathe a bit heavier, a bit more nervously. "Y-yes?" she asked, trying to keep a positive tone as she lowered herself into her favorite, most fluffy armchair.

"I have something to tell you."

Ruby felt herself begin to relax. Something to tell, not something to ask. If it was about skipping class, the conversation would not have started this way. Still, from the way this was going, it couldn't be good. "What about rehearsal?"

Glynda waved a hand dismissively. "Canceled. This is more important... sadly."

"Oh." She paused. No way out of this, then. "So, uh, what's going on?"

Glynda looked down. "We're having a visitor tonight. She's very important. We were friends back in the day, and I'm sure you know who she is, or will once I tell you... she insists that she..."

"Cinder Fall." The name blurted out before Ruby could stop it. "Mom, it's Cinder Fall, isn't it? The last member of Summer Storm. The lead singer of Cinderblock."

Ruby's mother blinked, taken aback. "You put it together after all. I had hoped you wouldn't."

That much was obvious. If she hadn't hoped that Ruby wouldn't find out, then she would have introduced the two back at the concert, she would have never taken the poster of Summer Storm off the wall, to be replaced only with a smiling portrait of the Rose-Goodwitch family.

Glynda folded her hands in her lap. "I should have told you earlier. Your mama would have wanted me to. But... I couldn't bring myself to bring up the history the three of us have."

"Our family?"

"No," said Glynda. "Summer Storm."

* * *

_Summer stretched her long, pale arms with a smile. "Man!" she exclaimed, "Bartholomew really had us working, didn't he?"_

_Cinder checked her watch. "And only for an hour more than he said he would. I'm supposed to be on a date with Cyril right now."_

"_Oh no!" Summer's face turned concerned. "We're near my house. If you call him right now, you can still apologize and..."_

_Cinder waved her off. "He was getting boring anyway. This'll be what, the third time I stood him up this month? Either it pushes him over the edge, or he's a pushover himself. Guys like that are no fun."_

_Summer and Glynda exchanged glances and laughed a little, awkwardly. They were all friends. All three of them had formed a bond that was almost definitely unbreakable. Still, Cinder sometimes seemed a little different. Maybe it was simply an effect of her newfound "third wheel" title in the budding romance between her two groupmates, or perhaps she had just always been different than Summer or Glyn. Glyn leaned towards the last idea._

_Still, they'd be friends forever._

_The girls walked from the studio towards Summer's home. She lived the closest, and Cinder liked to park her car there, away from the bustling downtown that she deemed so dangerous for her vintage vehicle. Glynda could have taken a bus from almost anywhere back to her foster home, but she enjoyed time spent with her girlfriend. _

"_So did you hear that Peach is going into retirement?" Cinder asked casually. Glynda and Summer exchanged another glance... their friend said so lightly, but both girls knew she wanted some attention._

"_I'll bite," said Summer. "No, I didn't?"_

"_Well, it's true. Five years of being a pop soloist, and suddenly Peach wants nothing to do with it." Cinder shrugged. "Do you think we'll ever be there?"_

"_No way!" Summer shook her head rapidly. "Summer Storm forever! Nothing could ever tear us apart!"_

_Glynda put her head down. "I don't know," she admitted. "Who's ever heard of a girl group sticking together for the rest of their lives?"_

_Summer's cheeks puffed defiantly. "We'll be the first, then!"_

"_But what happens if something _does _happen? I don't want to go down quietly. No matter what, you'll see me performing," Cinder promised, flipping her long black waves out of her face and smiling slyly, as if she knew a secret. "Now that the world's decided I'm a star, they will never be able to take it back."_

"_We'll perform together!" Summer insisted. "All of us. I fully intend to be doing things with Summer Storm until the day I die!"_

* * *

"She almost got her wish," Glynda noted bitterly. "We were filling out papers and doing interviews until just a few days before they found her body."

She looked towards her daughter. Ruby wouldn't meet her eyes. "So, was Cinder planning to leave the group the entire time?" asked the teenager quietly.

"I have never known, and likely will never know, what goes on in that woman's head." Glynda sighed. "All I know is that she has made it very clear that you are important to her. And I do truly believe that she did, once, care for what we had. You, Ruby, are part of that, whether you remember it or not. You... you used to love your Aunt Cinder. Your teddy bear, Zwei? That was a present she brought to you a week before your mother passed."

Ruby said nothing; a minute passed in complete silence. After a brief period, Glynda checked her watch and found that it was still only five-thirty. "It'll be a few hours before she gets here," she said. "I'm going to take a shower and get ready."

* * *

Showers were good for clearing Glynda's head most of the time, but she stepped out of the water with more questions than ever. She slipped on a white Oxford shirt and purple pencil skirt almost automatically, thinking about so many things at once that it seemed a wonder that she was able to think at all.

_Did she plan to leave? Did she kill the love of my life? Does she really care for Ruby? Is she doing what she thinks is right, or does she know how she comes off?_

It was six, two hours before the moment of truth. She sat down at her desk and pulled out Diary 14, beginning to write in her messy, but elegant hand.

"_Close your eyes now, time for dreams_

_Death is never what it seems_

_Did the things you thought you should_

_All the things they said were good"_

The poetry came without thought. She wasn't sure if she was writing it to Summer, as the diary was intended for, or to Cinder.

"_Born an angel, heaven sent_

_Falls from grace are never elegant_

_Stars will drop out of the sky_

_The moon will sadly watch the roses die"_

Glynda always was the moon. She could only reflect the lights of others: her girlfriend, her daughter. Cinder Fall.

"_You can't have my life_

_I'm not your sacrifice_

_You can try, but I'm free_

_And you won't conquer me_

_I won't crawl"_

_She might have done some awful things, but she's trying her best to make amends._ As she thought that, she was surprised to find that she believed it. Everything that had happened in the last month seemed to stem from Cinder's desire to rekindle a friendship. She wanted to get to know Ruby. She wanted to be involved with Summer Storm reunion activities. She even tried to kiss Glynda.

Glynda paused.

Was Cinder trying to rekindle a friendship? Or maybe something a little bit different?

The thought chilled her. Could she forgive Cinder? Perhaps. Could she forgive Cinder _that much? _

Glynda put her pen back to the paper.

"_Most of all_

_I won't fall for you"_

In fact, the thought made her sick.

She ripped the paper out of the diary and shoved it in her skirt pocket.

* * *

Dinner was made and Ruby and Glynda were both sitting awkwardly in the living room when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," both women said in unison, rising, then laughing awkwardly. Ruby sat back down, allowing her mother to walk to the foyer to receive Cinder.

Glynda took a deep, calming breath as she opened the door.

Cinder did not stand there. Instead, one of her bandmates, the small one with multicolored hair... Neo?... stood there with a note and a package. She handed them to Glynda and stood there expectantly.

The blonde woman found herself unsure what to do, so she reached into her skirt pocket, drew out a couple crumpled bills as a tip, and thrust them into the girl's hand, all while staring at the small woman's face, trying to see if that was the right thing to do.

Neo saluted almost sarcastically, and walked back towards the small smartcar that was parked in front of the Rose house.

Glynda shut the door behind her and walked into the living room. "I don't know _what_ just happened," she said aloud as she set the package on the coffee table and began to open the note.

It was written in Cinder's familiar, but long forgotten, chicken scratch handwriting.

_Glynda,_

_Sorry I couldn't make your little dinner party. A problem with our record label came up, which I'm sure you understand. We'll reschedule. In the meantime, because we promised, here's a list of the Summer Storm events I'm planning on attending. I'm also sending some things for dear little Ruby. I figured she was a little old for teddy bears, and I hope she finds everything here a little more acceptable._

_In addition, I really should apologize for Neo. She's the only person who would get off their lazy ass and do me a favor, but she'll make you tip. I'm not paying you back, though. _

_Kisses,_

_Cinder._

"Awww, you're never too old for teddy bears!" Ruby exclaimed when Glynda read the note aloud.

Glynda smiled and opened the package.

On top, as promised, was a list of dates and events, all of which looked vaguely familiar to Glynda as part of the fifteen year interview tour. Beneath was a layer of red tissue paper, which she removed delicately, reluctantly.

Her breath caught. Beneath the tissue paper was at least three posters, several tee shirts of different colors and designs, autographed photographs, CDs, and even stationary. Each item was adorned with the Cinderblock logo.

Ruby's eyes widened. "Oh man oh man!" she exclaimed. "Mom! You should have more friends who are celebrities!"

Glynda decided not to remind Ruby that not only did she, but that she was one herself.

The teenager dug through the box. "This is amazing! I can't believe that Cin... _Aunt_ Cinder would do something like this for me!"

_I can barely believe it myself. _Glynda's mind began to race, wondering Cinder's motive, what might be wrong with the merchandise, what she wanted.

Then, she stopped. _Maybe she's just changing. _

Glynda smiled a little and stuck her hands in her pockets. After a beat, her smile faded.

Her pockets were completely empty.


	8. I of the Storm

The week that passed since Cinder Fall had stood Ruby and Glynda up was a short one. It was spent preparing for Ruby's quickly-approaching high school graduation, in a whirlwind of Queens of the Castle rehearsals, and, for Glynda, doing interviews as part of the Summer Storm anniversary. All of them she did alone, as the paper that Cinder had given her had promised.

All of them focused on Summer's death.

And in her times off, she searched the house for her poem. She had retraced her steps five times before she gave in. She must have accidentally slipped the crumpled, torn-out page in with Neo's tip. For a while, she worried about that, her old habits dying hard. By Thursday, she had relaxed. The poem looked like scrap paper. It was mainly a plethora of dumb old metaphors and hyperbole. Even if Neo did read it, it was obviously worthless, trash. Just the useless feelings of a useless young woman.

When Glynda woke up Saturday morning, she was happy and ready to face her last interview of the week. It was only for a small, local paper, and she was sure she wouldn't have to give much effort. She climbed out of bed with ease and sniffed the air. The smell of coffee had already moseyed its way up to her bedroom, and she thanked her lucky stars that her daughter was an early riser.

Entering the kitchen, Glynda saw that indeed, Ruby had made coffee, and it was placed out and ready along with a bowl of blueberry oatmeal and some sausage links. Ruby was thoughtfully chewing her own food across the kitchen table and making last minute notes onto her precalculus homework. "They're still making the seniors work?" Glynda asked with a smile.

"Mr. Port is," Ruby grumbled. "Everyone else has given up."

"Teachers, or students?"

"Both. Sadly, I really need to pass this class, so looks like I've got homework down to the last." Ruby sighed. "I wish I was a math whiz like Velvet. She offered to do my homework for me, but that's really not right, is it?"

Glynda shook her head and sat down in front of her meal. "I'm glad you're taking even the last few weeks of high school honestly and seriously. It's the adult thing to do."

"I'm not sure I'm going to like being an adult if this is the adult thing to do, but thanks." Ruby shoved a bite of oatmeal in her mouth between problems, chewed a moment, then swallowed. "So. What are your plans for today, Mom?"

"I have an interview with _Vale Unveiled Magazine. _More than likely, I'll be finished before you're done with school. I'll meet you and the others at the studio." Ruby groaned quietly, and Glynda shot her best death-glare towards her daughter. "I know you're busy with math and with graduation activities, but we've all been slacking off lately. We have a tour scheduled in a scant two months, and I expect you girls to be able to do it in your sleep. Backwards in your sleep, even."

Ruby sighed. "I have trouble believing anyone pushed Summer Storm this hard."

"They didn't. But you girls aren't Summer Storm now, are you?" Glynda smiled slyly.

The teenager finished the last bite of her oatmeal with a roll of her grey eyes, and hopped out of her chair and over towards the kitchen sink, where she placed her bowl and spoon. "Okay, okay, you've got me," she said. "Anyway, it's about time for me to head out. Um, but before I do... can I ask a question?"

"Of course. I encourage it, in fact."

Ruby looked nervous. She shuffled her feet and stared at the ground. "Do you think... do you think maybe Cinder might want to come to my graduation next week?"

Glynda frowned, unsure of what to say. Cinder had not rescheduled as she had said she would, and Glynda still didn't have her old friend's phone number. She was still unsure of Cinder's motives, and of how much she truly did care for the Rose-Goodwitch family. Promising that she would ask would mean tracking the rock star down at a concert once again, something Glynda had frankly had enough of. "Perhaps. I'll ask her if I see her before then."

Ruby nodded. "Great! I'll see you this afternoon at the studio, then?"

"That's right."

"Okay!" The girl headed out the kitchen cheerfully. "I love you!" she called as she left.

"I love you too," Glynda yelled back.

She heard the front door slam and smiled to herself. It wouldn't be long before Ruby's days of going off to school would be over; though the teenager wanted to attend college eventually, she had opted to go the same route as her older groupmates Yang and Nora and put it off for a few years while making Queens of the Castle the focus. Letting her do so without a fight had made Glynda the subject of some backlash during PTA meetings, but the blonde woman trusted her daughter, who was, anyway, a legal adult.

_Summer, look! Our daughter is almost completely grown up. I hope I raised her well. I hope she has everything you ever wanted for her._

Glynda ate her meal with those thoughts lingering on her mind. When she finished, she got up, washed the dishes, grabbed her keys and smartphone, and headed out the door towards the interview.

* * *

Cyril Ian was a reporter, his reputation built almost exactly like Lisa's was. Being Cinder's ex-boyfriend, he was incredibly close to Summer Storm. As the girl group's popularity increased, he, like Lisa, found himself in the center of attention, and even after Cinder left him, his passion for media stayed. Unlike Lisa, he preferred print media, and was a highly sought-after freelance reporter, currently favoring local magazines and papers after the birth of his first son.

They met at his house, a comfy two-story home only a couple neighborhoods away from the Rose-Goodwitch residence. His wife Marie Ian held Cyril Jr. in her arms as if he were made of glass, and Glynda couldn't help but smile; Summer had held Ruby the same way. Marie directed Glynda to the dining room, where Cyril waited.

He was nothing like Glynda remembered. In high school, he had been a track star with a varsity jacket that he gave to Cinder and never got back. He was small back then, but fast and muscular. Now, he was still a few inches smaller than Glynda, but his athletic body had fallen in favor of a little friendly fat, complimented with the sort of smile he had never worn when he was with Cinder.

"Cinder... I mean, Ms. Fall isn't coming, is she?" he asked, as if he'd read Glynda's mind.

Glynda shook her head. "I doubt it."

"Good," he said, relieved. "I don't think I trust her anywhere near Marie. Anyway, Glynda, it's good to see you. You look well. Young, still."

"I'm only three years younger than you, Cyril," said the woman, amused. "And I'm only thirty-four. I _am _young, you know."

"With a grown daughter," Cyril said. "Sit down, let's start. Summer's daughter..."

"Our daughter," Glynda said firmly.

Cyril nodded. "Yes. Your daughter, together. Ruby's in a very similar situation as her biological mother, right? About to graduate, leading her own pop group, and might I say, she looks similar to her mother too. What similarities are less obvious?"

This was an interview that Glynda could get behind. Summer Storm was done with, as much as Junior did not want to believe it. Concentration on Queens of the Castle was the closest that Glynda could get to bringing the group back. "Ruby is very caring and kind. She's energetic, enthusiastic, and perfectly suited to the spotlight. I couldn't ask for a better child."

"Any love in her life? I believe I heard rumors of a certain member of the QotC staff..."

"Yes. Our volunteer publicity manager... she prefers not to be named, but her internet handle is Stabbun..."

"Quest?" Cyril asked, smiling. "She must be a Velcro fan, then? I'm partial to Rue, myself."

_Is everyone into this infernal show except for me? _Glynda waved the question off. "Her handle is Stabbun, she's the best publicity person I could wish for, and I find it continually amazing that she's a volunteer. She and Ruby have been together for a year now."

Cyril seemed to note the change in tone, and switched easily back to professionalism. "The entire Queens of the Castle group is phenomenal. How was the shift from a performer to a manager for you?"

"It wasn't much of a shift; I hadn't performed for over ten years before becoming the manager, choreographer, and director. I'm cut out for it. Much more than being on stage, believe it or not."

"You must stay busy with them. They're signed to a small label with few resources, right? Ember Celica Entertainment? You're doing the jobs of at least four people."

Glynda looked down at the floor and half-smiled. "I don't mind staying busy. I'd rather do it myself and do it right than have several people who need constant management, anyways."

"You're definitely a perfectionist," Cyril noted, grinning. "Your dancing was always on point, and all accounts say you demanded the same from your groupmates, back in the day. Are you the same with your girls now?"

"If you can't do something right, it isn't worth doing at all. Of course I make them do their best. After all, if an old woman can do it, they should be able to."

Cyril laughed. "So you admit you're getting old!" Glynda gave him a glare that she would not have liked to be on the receiving end of, and he backtracked. "At least, in comparison to where you used to be."

"That's better. I'm still young. Many performers... still active... are much farther along than I am. I just decided to clear the way for the next generation a little early."

* * *

"Hey, Mom?"

Eight hours after the interview, Glynda looked up from her chopping board to see her daughter. "Yes?"

"Um... this might be weird, but I was thinking about asking the owner of the ice cream shop to my graduation ceremony? I mean, he's pretty cool for an old guy, and he was pretty nice to us... you know...?"

Glynda searched her daughter's face. There were three things at play here. One, Ruby genuinely wanted Ozpin at the ceremony. Two, she wanted Glynda to have a date. Or three, she was trying to get more free ice cream.

The last two seemed the most likely.

Still, as Glynda thought about it, she liked the idea of asking Ozpin to tag along more and more. It had been over a week since the two had spoken, anyway, and her new friend seemed like someone she should keep a close eye on. In the best of situations, he was too friendly, giving things away and persistently trying to build a friendship. In the worst, he was actually trying to use her, and the more she observed him, the sooner she would know.

"That sounds fair," she said to Ruby. "I'll ask him on Monday."

Ruby grinned. "Awesome! So, you're getting along now?"

_Option two. She wants me to date him. _"He's not my type, Ruby. Don't get your hopes up."

Ruby blushed, red as roses. "Hey! I'm not saying that!" _Don't even lie to me, young lady. _"I'm just glad you've got more friends now than just Lisa."

"I have plenty of friends besides Lisa!"

"Name three," her daughter challenged.

"Well... there's Ozpin..."

"He doesn't count, you're trying to prove you had friends before him."

Glynda thought. "Qrow."

"He's my uncle. You only talk when you need to complain about me or Yang."

The blonde woman frowned and ran a hand through her hair. James Ironwood? No, not since Summer died. Cyril? Before today, she'd not talked to him since high school. Cinder? Ruby might accept that, but Glynda didn't think that _she_ could.

She was having trouble thinking of one. Three seemed a stretch all of a sudden. "Okay, okay," she grumbled. "I see your point."

Ruby grinned. "See? It's good for you to have friends and interests outside of Queens of the Castle. It makes you less gripey."

Glynda narrowed her eyes, but couldn't help but smile. "You talk like you've forgotten which one of us is the mother and which one of us is the child."

"Hey, I'm a full-fledged, eighteen year old, grown up lady!" Ruby protested, hands up and open. "Isn't this the point in the mother-daughter relationship where we become more friends than anything?" The redheaded girl took one look at her mother's face, and then quietly added, "Um, never mind."

Glynda smirked playfully. "That's better."

Even though her words said otherwise, Glynda did feel... and almost agree with... what Ruby was saying. The older the redheaded girl grew, the easier it was to forget the nature of their relationship. Ruby was sixteen years younger than Glynda... but then again, Ozpin was ten years older. As Glynda grew, she learned more and more that maybe age was just a number after all, provided you were over eighteen.

She wondered, vaguely, if she and Ruby would be friends if they weren't mother and child. She wasn't sure, but leaned toward the negative. While Glynda herself might not care much about age, Ruby was still young enough that it would probably be important to her. Even ignoring the massive age difference, they were very different people, connected by the love of one who was now gone.

* * *

Monday came.

It was the first day of Ruby and Velvet's last week of school, and anyone paying attention could feel the impatience... and senioritis... in the air. Glynda wondered if she could submit the sweatpants Ruby wore for Guinness Book of World Record's "most holes in an article of clothing" record.

Glynda herself had nowhere to be. No interviews, photo shoots, or talk shows. She spent her morning writing to Summer and reading a young adult romance novel. At noon, she decided to check the mail, then go out for lunch.

There were three things in the mail. One was addressed to Ruby; Glynda put that in the house. The other two were for her. One was the latest issue of _Vale Unveiled. _"That was quick," Glynda muttered as she stared at one of the blurbs on the front cover.

"_I of the Storm: An interview with the youngest member of a group that defined a generation." I don't know about that. The pun was a clever touch, though._

She made a note to examine the article in detail later, and glanced at her last piece of mail, a letter from Cinder. Curiosity and a great urge to _not deal with bullshit_ warred for a few seconds; Glynda then decided to wait to examine that one, too, at least until she got where she was going.

She ate lunch at a small cafe that boasted great sandwiches, and Lisa had wholeheartedly agreed with their advertisements. What the reporter had apparently forgotten was that the cafe seemed to cater to college-aged anime fans, many wearing ears and tails. She wasn't sure if she was more alarmed at the fact that the place did actually have very good food, or that none of the younger patrons paid her a second glance. As she finished her patty melt, her server, a blue-haired boy with aviator goggles and a disarming smile asked her if she wanted dessert. She thought for a moment, then shook her head and paid her bill.

The dessert was better across town, and she did mean to stop by there anyway.

Ozpin was working alone in an empty store yet again when Glynda came in. She took a look around the shop to confirm that the two of them really were alone. "I can't for the life of me figure out how you stay in business," she said.

The grey-haired man smiled and wiped down the counter around his cash register. "Afternoon rush, especially during finals week. Have you ever seen a desperate college student in need of sugar? One afternoon could probably keep me open for a month."

"You're exaggerating," Glynda said as she sat down at a nearby table.

"I am," Ozpin agreed amiably. "So, Ms. Goodwitch. What can I do for you today?"

"You can give me two scoops of coffee ice cream in a bowl and stick around so I have someone to hear the inevitable complaints I have about either this article..." She held up the magazine. "...or this letter." She did the same with her note from Cinder.

Ozpin nodded. "Fair enough."

"And I'm paying for the ice cream."

"Of course you are. I only offer it free the first few times." He winked, and Glynda blushed. _I shouldn't have presumed. Dammit, now I've embarrassed myself._

Ozpin winked again, and Glynda's face grew hotter as she handed him a five dollar bill. He gave her the change, and began to prepare the ice cream as she started to read the article.

"_I of the Storm:An Interview with Glynda Goodwitch."_

"_When one thinks of Summer Storm, often they think of either the entire group, its late eponymous member, or the devastatingly beautiful heartbreaker Cinder Fall. Rarely do we think of the third member. That, I learned today, is a major mistake."_

"_The youngest member of Summer Storm, Glynda Goodwitch retains her youthful demeanor today, even if it is hidden behind a layer of utmost maturity. Her daughter, Ruby Rose, is obviously the light of her life, and single mom Glynda seems to have done a good job raising her. Glynda is a self-confessed perfectionist, and doesn't take backtalk from anyone. Even so, she has a lighthearted sense of humor and an energy that is almost tangible... and you can't help but smile when you feel it."_

The article turned abruptly into a transcript of the interview, and Glynda looked up, eyes narrowed, at Ozpin. "That didn't take long," the shop owner commented, visibly wincing at the look on her face. He didn't look away as he set the bowl of ice cream in front of her.

"He's trying to make me into Summer by using bare-bones evidence," she said, glancing back at the paper disdainfully. "Or else, he's been spying on me. I'm not sure which. He shouldn't have known all of this."

"It's media, they exaggerate," said Ozpin calmly. "May I see?"

She handed him the magazine and he skimmed it quickly. As he read it, his smile grew wider and wider. "I see what happened," he said finally as he put the paper down. "It's pretty obvious."

"What?"

Ozpin slid into a chair across from Glynda, placed the article down, and folded his hands. He stared deep into her eyes. "Tell me about yourself."

"What!? No. Why am I doing this?"

"Fine, fine. So, Ruby. What's she up to lately?"

"She's doing great! She graduates this week. Actually, I was going to ask you to attend... her request, of course, not mine. I'm very proud of her."

"You are, I can tell. You're very proud in general, you know, I can see it."

Glynda smiled and shrugged. "I don't see the point in not taking pride in everything you do. Being confident may not be something I'm always good at, but I do try..."

"There."

Glynda blinked as Ozpin interrupted her. "What?" she said again.

"That's how the reporter did it," Ozpin said, with only a bare hint of smugness. "It's hard to get you talking, unless you've been talking about Ruby first. It's your back door. You don't mind talking about your daughter, but you hate talking about yourself. Trick you into thinking you're talking about Ruby, and you're very vocal."

Glynda felt her cheeks heat up, and she mentally ran over recent conversations where she had said more than intended. After a moment, it was clear. _I can't believe he's right about this._

The ice cream man looked away and seemed to be concealing a chuckle. Glynda opened her mouth to say something, hotly protesting though she knew he was right, but he spoke first. "So! Ruby wants me to come to graduation? Are you alright with that?"

She nodded, her face still hot. Glynda allowed herself to sit up straighter, cleared her throat, and attempted to be a confident and not-at-all-flustered adult yet again. "It'd be nice to have a friend there. Lisa... from television... is coming, but last I heard she might have to cover the graduation herself."

Ozpin nodded. "Fair enough. Where do you want to meet me, and at what time?"

For a moment, Glynda opened her mouth to name the Beacon University stadium being borrowed by the high school, and the exact time the ceremony would start. Then, she paused and considered. It wasn't logical by any stretch. Beacon University was a large school, with equally large facilities. Signal High School's graduating senior class was also quite large. Asking Ozpin to come and simply find her was a recipe for an extremely awkward disaster.

An idea... perhaps a better one, perhaps not... jumped into her head and out of her mouth an hour before she could stop it. "Meet my at my house at four-thirty PM this Saturday."

As always, Ozpin wore a smile, but this one was surprised. "Your house? So early?"

Glynda glared. "Yes, my house. It wouldn't do to misplace you in the crowd. As for the time, we'll be leaving an hour early to get Ruby settled and find good seating, of course."

"Fair enough. Just one question."

"Yes?"

"Where exactly _is _your house?"

* * *

Glynda left the ice cream parlor with a stomach full of melted ice cream and her hopes and worries for the coming week heavy on her mind. She felt a vague sense of guilt for feeling odd at all about what was headed her way. She invited Ozpin because Ruby wanted him there. No reason more, no reason less. It was stupid to feel anything but calm.

She was halfway to her house before realizing she had forgotten to open her letter from Cinder. She cursed. That, more than anything, she had wanted Ozpin's opinion on. She didn't know any living mutual friends that she and the rock star had anymore. Almost all of them had picked sides long ago. Ozpin was the closest thing to a neutral view, one that might be able to decipher what Cinder was planning, if she was planning anything.

Oh well. She wasn't turning back, not after all _that._

Pulling into her driveway a few minutes later, Glynda slid her purple-manicured nails under the letter's seal and opened it.

_Glynda,_

_I just wanted to thank you for being more than understanding when I broke our arrangement. Now I'm ready to reschedule. How about little Ruby's high school graduation?_

_My number is at the bottom of the page. If you give it to the press, you'll regret it as long as you live. I'm sure you'll feel the same way about your number, though. Call me as soon as possible._

_Kisses,_

_Cinder._

Glynda narrowed her eyes. The second paragraph seemed like blackmail, or a threat. Still, it also seemed a much more convenient way to contact the older woman. With a sigh, she programmed the ten digits into her own cell phone.

On a second thought, she skimmed the letter again. Cinder had not brought up Neo, which made Glynda confident that Cinder did not have the poem. If she did, she would have flaunted it. At least, Glynda thought, and hoped, so. The lack of mention made it incredibly likely the whole thing had just been thrown away, a piece of scrap paper.

_I planned to throw it away anyway, so I can't feel bad about it,_ Glynda told herself as she walked away from her car and into the house. _It would be completely against the point._

She tried not to add her irrational worries to the list of things that bothered her about the quickly approaching future, repeating to herself that this week was about Ruby. About Ruby, Velvet, and the rest of Signal High School's graduating class.

Even so, she couldn't keep thinking of all the things that could go wrong.


	9. Graduation

"Mom? Am I allowed to just... back out? Not graduate? Can I just stay in high school if I skip today? They'll flunk me, right?"

Glynda didn't look up from her mirror and kept adjusting her purple dress. "No, they'll just mail your diploma and you'll disappoint all the people who showed up to support you."

"Oh." The blonde woman could hear the slight quiver in her daughter's voice and couldn't help a smile. Ruby's nervousness was what really drove it in - this would be the day they'd waited for. Ruby's compulsory education was officially over. As a mother, that meant she had succeeded; as a pop group manager it meant that her work could truly begin.

Glynda turned away from the vanity she stood in front of, towards her daughter. Ruby's red hair was curled, making it look dramatically shorter than it actually was. Spirals brushed the middle of her ear cutely, and the blonde decided she liked curly hair quite well when it was on someone else. The girl was not yet in her cap and gown, instead wearing her simple black dress shirt and slacks with a very business-like red blazer adding a splash of color to the ensemble. Upon closer inspection, Glynda saw that Ruby had attached a silver cross pin to one of the lapels... a pin that had belonged to Summer, once upon a time.

"You look beautiful," Glynda said quietly. "Like..."

Ruby bit her lip. "Like Mama?" she supplied.

_To an extent... but... _Glynda shook her head. "No. Like yourself. Like a very grown up young woman."

The woman in question grinned. "You think?"

Glynda nodded her approval. "I do."

"Good, because I still feel like I should be fifteen, and..."

The doorbell rang, cutting the young woman off. Ruby smirked. "Is that Mr. Ozpin?"

"Probably."

"You should go get that, then."

The older woman smiled wryly and left her bedroom, walking quickly and rhythmically down the stairs to the foyer. It was less than a minute after the bell rang that she opened the door to receive her guest.

Ozpin stood there awkwardly, his arm reached out, as though he planned to ring the doorbell again. He abruptly put it back down. "Hi," he said, his face red.

Glynda took him in. He, like Ruby, was looking quite dapper in a silver and green ensemble complete with pinstriped vest and bow tie. "You look decent," she commented, deciding that she would be honest with her thoughts for once.

The man grinned. "You're not too shabby yourself."

"Of course not. It's an important occasion." She stepped to the side. "Come in."

Ozpin stepped inside the foyer. His eyes took in the small room, but Glynda could read no sign of approval or disapproval on his face. The man's appraisal seemed to stop at the large picture of the Rose-Goodwitch family. "How long ago was that taken?" he asked.

"Fourteen years now. Ruby was four. I was twenty, and Summer was twenty-two."

She could almost see the gears in his mind turning. "You were young. You were... you were raising Ruby when you were sixteen?"

"Yes." Glynda frowned, then the expression broke and she chuckled darkly. "It's not exactly the most popular life decision. Especially not for a young woman very much in the public eye."

"I remember reading about you and Summer raising a child. It never hit that you were so young."

"I'm still quite young. Not even middle aged. Not yet."

Ozpin smiled, a lopsided, quirky grin. "Unfortunately," he commented wryly, "I can't say the same for myself."

Glynda suppressed a smile and felt her lips going tight. Immediately, her brain overanalyzed everything she did. _I'm not sure I'm supposed to find that funny. By not laughing, am I being polite? Or am I being salty? _"Was that a joke?" she asked finally, her voice flatter than intended, almost sarcastic. She mentally facepalmed.

The silver-haired man's smile quivered, then became a full on gigantic, laughing grin. "Yes. Yes, that was."

As embarrassed as she was, Glynda had one major flaw. Laughter, contagious to many, was downright unavoidable to her. When those around her began, she couldn't help but pick it up. Within a split second, she was laughing right with him. "I... I'm sorry," she gasped between chuckles. "I'm a little nervous right now."

Ozpin didn't say anything, just smiled at her. _This, I believe, _thought the woman, _is where our friendship is truly secured. Nobody suspicious would smile at me like that._

She motioned away from the foyer, towards the kitchen. "Come on in. There's coffee."

* * *

Ruby came bounding down the steps and into the kitchen just as Ozpin and Glynda had finished their coffee and were laughing over a rather peculiar ice cream shop related mishap that the man described in intricate and comedic detail. Immediately, a grin began to play on Ruby's face. The situation was perfect.

A small part of Ruby Rose was a matchmaker. She wanted her mom to be happy... that was a given. Ruby herself also had a desire to expand her own family. She rarely saw her Uncle Taiyang, and even Uncle Qrow wasn't a particularly common figure in her life. Her mom was the first to admit that she'd never particularly felt like she had _parents, _not _proper _parents, anyway. Mama's parents weren't in the picture either... Summer Rose's mother had died when Summer was only eighteen, and her father refused to acknowledge anything that came from the Rose-Goodwitch relationship, which unfortunately included Ruby. Besides her mom, the only regular family member in Ruby's life was Yang. Two out of who knows how many possibilities.

Still, the matchmaking part was new. When she was little, the desire to increase her family had manifested in practically begging for a younger sibling.

"And so I said to Sun, 'Sun, you have to come up with a solution that doesn't involve driving off the customers,' and the woman laughed and said, 'Oh, is this a family business?' Of course, neither of us expected to hear _that_..."

Ruby considered interrupting. A glance at her silver pocket watch said it was fifteen minutes before they had to leave, but her mom was always so big on being early. Still, as she watched, it was apparent the two adults were having a good time.

_The two adults, _Ruby scoffed in her mind. _Like you're not one now, too. Eighteen. Very adulty. Very grown up._

"So that's why it took me about two weeks before I convinced him to stop calling me Dad." Ozpin chuckled. "I bet his _actual _parents had a really good laugh when they named him Sun, to be honest."

Ruby's mom smirked. "I bet they did," she agreed.

Ruby took another step into the kitchen, and the two older adults seemed to see her for the first time. "Oh, Ruby," said the blonde woman, a hint of surprise in her voice. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah. Is Cinder meeting us there?"

Her mom looked away and crossed her arms, every bit of body language showing she was upset about... something. Ruby wasn't quite sure what. She knew that her mother wasn't always happy with Cinder, but it seemed like they were reconciling quite nicely. _Another addition to the family, _thought the teen with some satisfaction. _Aunt Cinder. _

"Cinder is planning on meeting us there, yes," the woman confirmed.

"Alright!" cheered Ruby. "Let's head out then!"

"Am I riding in your car? Or following you?" Ozpin asked them.

As Mrs. Goodwitch answered, it again hit Ruby that she was graduating, and she felt the butterflies in her stomach again. This time, however, they were not all terribly nervous. This time, some of them were quite happy indeed.

* * *

The stadium where Signal High School graduation was to be held seemed packed. Though the Beacon University stadium was large, so was the graduating class of 2015. Between them, their family, and their friends, almost no seats remained. Glynda was glad she had gotten there early.

On her left sat Ozpin, chatting merrily about something she was not quite listening to. On her right, an empty seat she had saved for Cinder, one that many people had tried to claim already. Somewhere down below, with the news crew, was Lisa, and Ruby was all over, talking to her friends before the graduates were set to line up.

"You're distracted, aren't you?" Ozpin asked. "Am I being boring?"

"No, no," Glynda hastened to assure him. "I'm just... concerned."

"Why so?"

"I'm wondering if Cinder will find me or if I'll need to seek her out... perhaps she decided not to come." The last part was said rather hopefully.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," said Ozpin with a smile. He pointed into the crowd, where a tall, curvy woman was cutting in between people, heading their direction.

"Stupid crowds," muttered Cinder as she approached. "This is why I like them best when I'm on a stage six feet above them."

For the first time in perhaps years, Glynda felt obliged to agree with her. Still, she said nothing apart from "I was beginning to think you weren't coming."

"And miss dear Ruby's graduation? I haven't missed a Rose or Goodwitch graduation since I started attending them."

Glynda wondered if that meant the older woman had been at her college graduation, or if Cinder was simply unaware of it. She decided it was better not to ask.

Cinder settled into her seat easily and looked around. "Oh, look," she commented after a second, "it's Ozpin. I wasn't aware the two of you were friends."

"It's a fairly recent development," Ozpin noted amiably.

"Just friends? Or maybe... something more?"

"_Just _friends," Glynda clarified. Her eyes narrowed. _Less than one minute down. I don't know how much more of her I can tolerate already. _

Cinder laughed, a clear, but cutting, sound that reminded Glynda of a blade. "Of course, of course. Little Glyn likes girls better anyway, don't you?"

Glynda looked away from Cinder, but realized that made her look at Ozpin, and that was equally awkward. She bit her lip, shut her eyes, and raised her head proudly. "I'm bisexual. I don't care about gender, or lack of. It's just not something I take into consideration."

"How cute." Glynda was sure that if her eyes were open, she would see Cinder's smug, demeaning expression. "I, for one, might have taken a while to come around to the pleasures of the female form, but I just can't see myself ever going back now." Her voice changed and took on a slightly more annoyed tone. "No matter how Roman tries to persuade me."

As Ozpin began to respond, the Beacon Stadium PA system clicked on, almost (but not quite) inaudible above the din of the crowd. "Please silence all cell phones at this time and take your seats. The ceremony will commence momentarily."

Glynda opened her eyes and wondered wryly if the use of the word "commence" was supposed to be a pun.

Regardless of whether it was or not, she was excited. Her daughter was graduating in only moments.

Sure enough, it seemed that as soon as the crowd settled, _Pomp and Circumstance _started.

* * *

"Coco Freia Adel."

The first name to be called, after what seemed to be hours of speeches, was the name of one of Velvet's best friends. She wasn't quite as close with Ruby, but Glynda could still remember the fashionista coming over to watch Quest, helping Ruby pick out outfits, indulging in tons of chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen.

Ten minutes later, "Dove Inca Bronzewing."

He'd bullied both Velvet and Ruby mercilessly in elementary school, unexpectedly becoming a friend in middle school, and then regressing to a "total jerkface" (Ruby's words, not Glynda's) once they hit high school. For a while, Glynda wondered if the rocky friendship was a sign that the boy liked one of the two girls, but she quickly realized that first of all, if it was so, it was not a _good _sign, and two, both Ruby and Velvet would rather eat a shoe than date a boy.

Halfway through the ceremony. "Melanie Margaret Malachite." "Miltiades Madeline Malachite."

Twin girls, signed to Ember Celica Entertainment just like the Queens of the Castle. Glynda had listened to them, simply because _unlike _QotC, the Malachite sisters were working directly with Junior. With the amount of energy that the aging man put into remembering Summer Storm, she thought they might have a similar sound to her old group. She quickly found out that they were nothing like her, Summer, and Cinder... their sound was closer to the Veronicas than anything.

And then, not soon after... "Ruby Cerise Rose."

She walked on to the stage looking calm and confident and grown... at least, she could as far as Glynda could see, located in the far away audience. Glynda imagined she could see that slight, serene smile that made her daughter look so much like her old girlfriend.

Ruby's path across the stage seemed to take both forever and no time at all. A diploma. A handshake. Handshake after handshake after handshake, really. A single rose was given to her, and as the third name after hers was called, she stopped before getting off the stage for a split second as the school-hired photographer took her picture.

It seemed almost a shame. So much buildup for just about a single minute.

"Velvet Margery Scarlatina."

"Nadir Shiko."

"Russel Robin Thrush."

"Cardin Henry Winchester."

And then, the end. Mortarboards thrown into the air, despite the discouragement given by the authority of the school. Like it mattered anymore for the graduates.

And then, the end.

Or perhaps, a new beginning.

* * *

Ruby found them in the lobby of the stadium and gave each person a huge hug. Glynda wasn't sure which was more worrisome... the hug to Ozpin, who she had barely talked to, or the hug to Cinder, who was a little more known to both women, but possibly a lot more dangerous. "Well, it's over!" the redhead said cheerfully.

"The ceremony, or high school?" Ozpin asked, with a slight head tilt.

"I mean, both," said Ruby, "but I was referring to high school."

Cinder smiled, and Glynda was surprised to see that the smile was one of the woman's rare genuine ones. "Allow me to be the first to say congratulations. I know you'll do well in your future endeavors. Speaking of that... what do you plan to do? College?"

"I want to eventually, but it doesn't seem fair to take that on now when I've already made a commitment to QotC. Besides, focusing on my work allows me to save money for school and have a better idea of what I want to study." It was clear that she'd given it a lot of thought, as Glynda knew she had. The decision made sense, but was not by far a popular choice.

"Education," said Cinder. "That's what Glynda studied, wasn't it? I can't imagine that you wouldn't be good at that, Ruby."

Glynda was impressed... it _was _what she had studied, after Cinder and her relationship became strained. It was strange, but somehow pleasing, that the older woman knew that. It was even more pleasing that she had come to the same conclusion that Glynda had: Ruby _would _be a good teacher.

But Ruby shook her head. "I can't see it. I don't want to be stuck in a classroom anymore. I just escaped that!" she complained.

Glynda smiled. "Fair enough. So, graduation dinner. Are we waiting on Velvet?"

"Nope. I invited her... same time as she invited _me _to _hers. _We're both gonna stick to family and other family friends besides each other and meet up for a date tomorrow. Are we waiting for Lisa?"

Glynda had almost forgotten that Velvet had also graduated, and mentally hit herself before answering. "She has something else to cover, unfortunately. So, where to? Full course dinner? Just dessert? Someplace fancy, or casual?"

Ruby's smile twisted into a mischievous grin. "Hey, Ozpin. Is your shop open when you're not there?"

* * *

It was a fairly unremarkable end to the day.

One moment, everything was special, seeming like the end of an era. And the next, she was eating ice cream at a shop she visited about once a week, with her daughter and two people she could tentatively refer to as friends.

The college students working the night shift at Ozpin's Copy and Cafe were attempting to stifle the laughter, but it was still audible (albeit muffled). Ozpin simply grinned, and Glynda got the feeling that he liked to make them laugh by being the customer rather than the boss for once. Glynda herself almost wanted to laugh, too. She felt truly happy, almost light. At least, she did when she forgot that Cinder was with them.

Cinder was drinking coffee slowly and, perhaps surprisingly, seeming to enjoy herself as Ruby told a story of a rehearsal gone wrong. Ozpin was turning his attention away from his employees and towards his single scoop of chocolate ice cream and Ruby's story. Glynda tried her best to enjoy the calm... and her vanilla milkshake. The happiness she felt seemed fragile, but not in a bad way. It was a candle inside her. Soft, unwavering... but someday soon it would be gone, burned down to wax. But that wasn't a reason to worry. That was just what happened to candles.

Glynda's cell phone rang. Annoyed at the interruption of her peace and her thoughts, she looked down with narrowed eyes. Caller ID revealed that her caller was Junior. She considered ignoring it, but one thing stopped her: as much as Junior's calls were annoying and badly timed, he only called her when it was important to, something Glynda couldn't say of everyone who had her number. She sighed. "Sorry, everyone. I have to take this."

She wasn't even completely out of the ice cream shop when she answered. "Hello Junior."

"Glynda," he said, and his tone was not lighthearted at all. It was purely business. "I'm going to assume you haven't heard."

"Heard about what?"

"The buyout."

"The what?"

She heard a sigh on the other end of the line. "Ember Celica Entertainment was officially purchased by Remnant Records last night. There's going to be a lot of changes. For everyone. I was assigned to let you know and..."

"Why you?" interrupted Glynda. "This has no bearing on Summer Storm, and you don't work with Queens of the Castle."

"Because things are being moved around. Remnant Records is huge, and part of the reason they have such a large company is because they are impeccably organized. They have departments that Ember Celica could never even dream of. Things are being reorganized into Remnant standards. Which means that the Malachite sisters and Queens of the Castle are both being placed in their teen hits division. Which I uh, happen to be working in now."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I'm now the boss of several groups. Including yours."

Glynda's breath hitched for a moment. "Where does that leave me?" she demanded. "One of the things I signed says I have complete creative control over QotC's songs, choreography, tour schedule..."

"You still have control over everything that you were promised," Junior assured. "There's only a couple things I'll be handling. You'll barely realize there was a change. Especially because I'll be busy with the Malachites, with White Fang, with Cinderblock..."

_Of fucking course._

"Very well," Glynda said coldly. "As long as QotC remains my group. I will not hesitate to terminate our contract if the situation changes."

"Oh, I know!" chuckled Junior, seemingly unaware of the dangerous edge Glynda's voice had acquired. "Well, Small Stuff, I'll chat with you tomorrow about the details. I've already got some great opportunities lined up for you to look over!"

"Fine. Goodbye."

She hung up first, took a deep breath to compose herself, and walked back into the store.

As she did, she saw Cinder on her cell phone, texting something. A large smile played on her face.

_Whatever that is, I can't imagine it's good. Not with the news I've just gotten._

Cinder glanced up as Glynda sat down at the table again.

"Nice to be working with you, old friend."

* * *

_AN: _For clarification, all middle names are made up. In the event we get canon middle names, I'll edit. Thanks for reading! :D Hopefully chapter ten will be up soon.


	10. New Beginnings

"I've spoken directly to Miss Salem, and she says it's imperative that you and your girls are happy with us, Glynda. We want you to be free to go in any direction you feel like going, as long as you're aware you have the spotlight on you now more than ever… and of course, we would like to provide some guidance of our own…"

Junior chatted merrily as he and Glynda walked through the pristine halls of Remnant Records. The walls around them held no usually tell-tale signs of a building where the intimidatingly famous worked. There were no framed autographs… no enlarged album covers. There were no windows, either. All that Glynda saw were doors after doors and slick white walls. Remnant Records needed no sign of how renowned they were. They expected you to already know.

Glynda adjusted her glasses and glanced at Junior. "Please slow down, Junior," she said. "You know I've been with Ember Celica Entertainment all my life. Who's Miss Salem?"

"The CEO. She's uh, more than that, really. Very active in all departments. She very much wishes everything to go smoothly."

"When should I expect to meet her?"

Junior seemed taken aback. "Probably never. I've never met her in person, even. She'll email you and call you, I expect, but don't think you'll just see her around."

"Oh."

The large man opened a door to a comfortable office, and beckoned his former client… and now, strangely, coworker… inside. "We've only got a few things to talk about," he assured. "Things to make the transition easier on everyone."

Glynda sunk into a large red armchair and made a mental note to get one just like it at home. She could fall asleep in that thing.

"Now, Glynda, first let's talk about your affairs. You've got a publicity manager?"

"An amateur social media coordinator, to be precise." Junior began to speak, but Glynda cut him off. "And we won't get rid of her for one of yours. She stays with the Queens of the Castle or we walk."

"Of course," the man agreed, running a hand through his hair. What a tell. He had definitely been about to argue. "Bring her in with some examples of her work. Provided she's only generating good publicity, we'll hire her full time for you."

That was a surprise. Velvet would be pleased. Glynda could think of no better job for the young woman than snapping new pictures and writing new articles about her friends.

"Now, your tour…"

"Starting in two months, domestic because Nora and Yang don't yet have passports."

"Are you ready?"

"Give me four weeks."

Junior coughed. "Could you train another girl in that time?"

"Why would I need to?" Glynda narrowed her eyes. A lesser woman might have said "certainly," and while she _certainly could, _she knew the old man's tricks way too well to get roped into something she didn't want to do.

Junior sighed heavily and leaned forward in his own chair across from her. "Here's the deal, Small Stuff. I've got to know something. Are you trying to recreate Summer Storm?"

In an ideal world, Glynda would not have hesitated.

This was not an ideal world.

She gripped the arms of the chair tightly. "I know that my girls are not Summer and me."

"And Cinder."

"And Cinder. They aren't who we were. The world wouldn't like them if they were. This isn't the nineties anymore. The nature of girl groups has changed, and I'm choosing to change with it rather than get caught up in my own thoughts and memories."

She was opening her mouth to begin the "But…" when Junior interrupted. "Great! That's just what Salem and I were thinking. The world's watching you and seeing where you're going with the Queens of the Castle. If we can show them that they're different, they'll want to know more. Lure them in, promise them a new show, not some back alley tribute. We thought the best way to do that quickly would be to shift the dynamic, bring in new talent. Sound good?"

Glynda blinked, slowly, incredulously. "New talent?" She was pleased to find her voice had a dangerous edge to it.

As always, Junior seemed blissfully unaware. A side effect, Glynda supposed, of their long-standing relationship. It was hard to be unnerved by a thirty-four year old woman when you knew how small and frightened she was at fourteen. "Sure! You'll pick a final selection, of course, but we'll do all the legwork, set up an audition and everything. It'll be great! You'll see how much better these groups work when there's an even number. Even if a member leaves you still have a group!"

"Is this a safety? Do you think one of my girls will bail?"

"I think it's a safe business move," Junior said. He looked Glynda dead in the eyes. "And Salem insists. I won't ask you to pick someone if you can't find a new girl that works. I do, however, have to ask that you give your approval for an audition to be held… and then attend it."

"And if I can't find anyone, you'll get off my back?"

"With pleasure."

Glynda rose to walk over to Junior. She put her hand out. "It's a deal."

* * *

"A new girl?" squeaked Ruby.

Yang's eyes were narrowed, and Nora was practically bouncing for joys. "I doubt it," Glynda said, choosing to reveal her honest feelings. "I agreed to his terms to appease him. They're our new bosses; we can't afford to get on their bad sides. I'm not looking for any new additions, and I'm sure you aren't either."

"You should have discussed this with us, even if you aren't planning to let anyone new into the group," said Yang. Under the anger in her eyes, Glynda sensed hurt. "We aren't kids, Glynda. We've got as much of a right to say yes or no as you do."

"You're right," admitted the older woman. "I can't back out now, but if anything else like this comes up, I promise I'll consult with you three first."

"Well I think it'd be great to have someone new!" Nora exclaimed. "I'm all for new friends, as long as they can take a little pain."

"That sounds like you're planning to break their legs," Ruby said.

Nora grinned. "Only if I decide I don't like 'em."

Over by the piano, Velvet shifted. "I'm with Yang. I like our current dynamic. I don't even want to take the chance."

"How about we all attend the auditions?" Glynda asked. "That way, we can firmly evaluate not just based on skill, but based on how well the candidates might fit in."

Reluctant shrugs all around, except from an enthusiastic Nora.

Glynda decided for them. "It's the least we can do. I expect you all at Remnant Records on Monday."

* * *

Monday came all too fast for anyone's liking. Glynda was the first to admit that she hated the idea of the auditions. It brought to mind her own try out… the start of the best and worst times of her life.

The morning of, she stopped into the ice cream shop and got a hot travel cup of coffee to go. Ozpin made it himself, but it wasn't until Glynda was on the way back to her car that she glanced at the paper cup and found a note: _Good luck today!_ A little doodled smile accompanied the message, and Glynda gave her own very real smile. Ozpin had heard all about the audition; she'd mentioned it over a phone call, and he'd sympathized with her frustration. It made her feel warm inside that he'd remembered, though. The call had been days ago.

By the time Glynda and the Queens of the Castle walked into Remnant Records, it was bustling with girls in high school and college. The current members seemed to shift into their more public personas as soon as the candidates were in sight. Velvet almost melted into the crowd, wary of being spotted, identified… everyone knew Ruby had a girlfriend, but nobody was quite sure who it was, and Velvet liked it that way. Yang held her head high, aloof and cool (funny for Glynda, who knew she was about as cool as a fire). Ruby and Nora almost had to be pulled away from the crowd. They were already engaging with people.

Junior began a group routine to weed out the worst of the group. Ruby, Nora, and Yang stood up front and helped walk the candidates through it. Junior tapped girls out, narrowing the group by more than half.

For her part, Glynda watched. She remembered that she was chosen as a member of Summer Storm as much for her pre-audition choices as for her performance. Did any of these girls stand out, even now before she saw them individually?

No. Not yet, anyway.

The group finally retreated into a more private studio room. He introduced himself formally to the current Queens, and gave a respectful nod to Velvet (he'd met her a few days earlier, when Glynda had brought her in, as per his request). "Now, Small Stuff. You ready?"

"I'll never be," Glynda replied dryly. "Let's get this over with."

Junior grinned and pressed a button on the intercom. "Send the first girl in, Octavia."

"Right away, sir!" promised a female voice.

Then, the real fun began.

* * *

They weren't even halfway through before Glynda began to get exhausted.

Around her, the others seemed to be almost enjoying themselves. Velvet was hiding out on her blog, answering live questions from people curious about the audition. Nora and Ruby were talking animatedly about the last girl they'd seen, a possible contender if they had been actually planning to allow anyone else in. Next to her, Junior had struck up some sort of banter with Yang… banter Yang was undoubtedly winning.

"Look, Blondie, I have nicknames for everyone," Junior explained. "Small Stuff over here, your cousin Little Red over there…"

Yang's eyes gleamed. "I'm not doubting that, Junior, I'm just saying I'm not so fond of being called Blondie."

"What should I call you then?"

"How about _sir_?"

The intercom beeped before Junior could formulate a response to that. "Mr. Xiong, sir," said Octavia, "Should I send in the next girl?"

"Please," he responded.

"Alright. Number 104, Weiss Schnee."

Schnee? Glynda blinked. Schnee was not a common name, and she only knew it from the locally based Schnee Pharmaceuticals Corporation. "Is that…"

The door opened, and in walked a poised young woman. She smiled, but it didn't seem to be fully genuine. "Weiss Bianca Schnee," she introduced herself. "Contestant 104."

She had a good voice, speaking at least. When she switched into singing, Velvet accompanying her on piano, it was even better. She had emotion, technique. It all seemed classical, though, like she had no idea what a real girl group was like. Junior perched on the edge of his seat, seeming entranced. Finally, Weiss finished, gave a quick curtsey, and left.

"She was good," said the man, just as Glynda suspected he would.

"She was also not at all what this group needs. We've got a certain dynamic. I doubt she'd fit." Glynda looked to her girls for backup, but they didn't seem to support her. Neither, though did they support Junior. That was fine, she supposed. "She seems almost haughty," Glynda added. Weiss Schnee rubbed her the wrong way.

The door opened again after a brief interlude, and Glynda blinked in surprise. A couple seats down from her, Yang sat up straighter, all of a sudden paying attention. They knew that face, that shy, hesitant expression, that low voice that was introducing herself as "Blake Belladonna. Number 105." There was a brief moment of silence before Blake continued. "I'll be singing a song I wrote myself. I don't need any accompaniment, thank you."

For the first time, Glynda noticed the soft guitar case on the girl's back.

Blake pulled out her acoustic guitar and slipped the rainbow strap over her shoulders. She fingered the strings for a second, plucking them lightly to check if they were in tune. Then, the music grew loud, confident, strong. The song she sang sounded versatile… it was heartfelt and simple now, but Glynda doubted it had to be.

"_Now it's time to say goodbye to the things we loved, and the innocence of youth. How the time seemed to fly from our carefree lives and the solitude and peace we always knew."_

Blake's voice rose and fell, low and persuasive at times and loudly brutal at others. Yang practically had stars in her eyes, though Glynda was sure she was biased. But no, even Nora, Ruby, and Velvet seemed entranced.

_She might be our girl. _

The music ended like it began, with a quiet couple plucks of the strings. Then, Blake looked into the eyes of her judges. "Thank you," she said, and turned and left.

* * *

"I want Blake," said Yang as soon as everyone had auditioned.

Ruby snorted. "We've known _that _for about a month now."

Yang blushed and narrowed her eyes. "I meant I think she'd be a good addition. She wrote that song! Did you see how she sang it? She was fantastic!"

"I agree," said Velvet. "That took talent. I don't know if she'd work well, but she's someone we at least know a little bit, and she has the skill. I'd trust her."

Nora and Ruby nodded agreement. Only Junior protested. "I liked the Schnee girl."

Glynda frowned "She wasn't what we're looking for. And as you'll recall, Junior… it's my decision." One glance at her group was all it took to amend that. "Mine and my girls', anyway."

Junior nodded, though disappointment still played on his face. "I'll bring her in."

Blake was surprised.

It was written all over her face. The arch of her eyebrows, the bend of her mouth, and even the blink of her golden-brown eyes spoke of confusion and shock. "Look," she said to the group. "I came here to audition because my girlfriend wanted support. I didn't mean to… I didn't think I'd…"

"Do you not want to?" Glynda asked, hands folded across her chest. "Whether or not you came to support your girlfriend, it's not entirely polite to audition for something you don't want." _Oh, you hypocrite,_ she thought to herself even as she frowned at the younger woman.

"I want this," said Blake firmly. "I'm just in shock. Forgive me. Of course I'd love to be included in Queens of the Castle."

Junior smiled. "Alright then! I'll get the paperwork set up, unless Glynda has anything to add?"

"We aren't changing rehearsal schedules for you. You'll have to work around them."

"I'm getting paid for this, right?"

"Of course."

Blake shuffled her feet. "I'm sure Ozpin has to understand…" she mumbled.

Glynda grinned, a rare sight, and Blake seemed to immediately take notice. "If it helps, I'll personally go up to him and tell him I insisted that you join the Queens of the Castle. I consider him a… personal friend. He'll understand. I'll make sure of it."

Two golden eyes widened. "Oh! You're the woman who always comes in…"

_I'm surprised she didn't notice sooner. _"That would be me, yes. Anyway, we can all go to the shop tonight, if it works for you. A celebration, of sorts."

"Yeah, okay. Do you mind my girlfriend tagging along?"

"That should be fine. Which contestant was she?"

"Weiss. Weiss Schnee."

Of course. Of course she was. Glynda's smile was no longer so genuine, instead plastered to her face. "Alright. Let's meet you there at seven, then. I look forward to working with you, Blake."

* * *

The coffee shop was bustling. The last time Glynda had seen it like this was the Cinderblock concert, and she almost turned and left as soon as she saw the packed parking lot. All that stopped her was the fact that Blake and Weiss were supposed to meet them here, not somewhere else, and Glynda didn't yet have the new group member's phone number.

They snagged a table by the open picture window and waited. While the girls chatted, Glynda scanned the room for Ozpin. She couldn't find him, despite how busy it was. Was he on the bottom floor, with the books?

A hand suddenly rested on her shoulder. "What a crowded room," mused the very man she was looking for.

Glynda tried not to jump, instead turning to face him. "And you're standing here… sipping coffee."

"Even the owner of a business is allowed to take breaks," he said with a surprisingly cute smile. "I'm off for the night, in fact. May I join you?"

"For the time being. We're expecting someone soon."

Ozpin pulled out one of the chairs reserved for the soon to arrive couple. "How did the audition go? Did you manage to keep it to only you five?"

"Not exactly."

"Do tell."

Glynda hesitated. Was this truly her thing to say? Was she supposed to wait for Blake?

It was lucky then that at that moment the dark haired woman walked in, her small girlfriend in tow. The two scanned the room until they met Glynda's firm gaze and began to head over.

Ozpin didn't seem surprised to see Weiss Schnee sit down next to him, nor Blake to hover near the table. "How did the audition go, Weiss?" he even asked.

The girl narrowed her eyes. She gave off a particular vibe to Glynda… she was not happy about not getting the position, and though she probably was trying to be happy for Blake, she didn't seem to be succeeding. "Not well enough, apparently."

It was only now that Ozpin's face showed any sign of surprise or curiosity. "Then why…"

"It's me. I'm in the group," said Blake quietly.

Understandingly, Ozpin nodded. "I see," he said. "I suppose that means I'll be looking for a new employee?"

"Are you gonna be okay?" asked Blake. "I know it's hard for you to find people you like…"

Glynda almost laughed. The thought of Ozpin being discerning by any means was funny. He'd been kind, friendly, and open to everyone she'd seen him meet. He trusted her, Ruby… he even had a good relationship with Cinder Fall, of all people. Hard for him to find someone he liked? Not hardly.

Ozpin saw her stifling giggles, and raised an eyebrow. "It's true!" he protested. "Simply because I trust you shouldn't mean you should assume I trust everyone. Anyway, Blake, I've got applications on hold from last May. Don't worry about me. I'll find someone." His upper lip quirked slightly, into a wry smile. "I'll even keep your ice cream flavor. Considering Glynda's your manager now, I'd chance you'll be in here quite a lot."

"Of course I will, Ozpin. I'm not planning on forgetting this place anytime soon."

"I wouldn't let you. Now anyway, ice cream's free for you tonight." He grinned. "Glynda's paying for it, I'm sure."

Glynda's cheeks went red at the assumption (albeit a correct one). "Don't go around citing me as the official ice cream checkbook! You offered the free ice cream, you provide it!"

The man grinned. "Well, I have to stay in business somehow, and Blake's still a broke college student… for tonight, anyway. I'm sure you were already going to pay for hers anyway."

"I _was… am…_ but still." Despite her mostly-mock anger, she couldn't help but look upon Ozpin with a faint smile. A flash of affection, warm and welcome, made its way into her heart. "Really, Ozpin, you shouldn't tease like that."

There was no verbal reply. Ozpin simply shot another smile her way, rose from his chair, and made his way out into the crowd of the café.

Next to Glynda, Ruby grinned. "So, Mom. You two are teasing now?"

Red as roses, Glynda blushed and began to sputter. "It's a purely professional relationship, alright?"

"Sure seems that way," Yang said, leaning forward. Her mouth was set in a knowing grin. "For now, at least. Glyn's too uptight to get into anything more, right?"

Velvet and Nora were full on laughing, and even Blake was smiling slightly at the teasing, though Weiss still seemed sullen.

They ordered their ice cream after a bit of the crowd had died down and ate it over questions, comments, thoughts. Blake had just finished her junior year of college at Beacon University and wasn't willing to take a break, but had already switched her next semester plans to online classes so she could work on QotC things. She was delightfully well read, something Glynda enjoyed hearing. It was to be expected from an English major, probably.

Weiss was a political science major at the same school and as Glynda had half-suspected, the daughter of the CEO of Schnee Pharmaceuticals. However, as the youngest child, she had no plans or expectations to work in the family business. She was unpleasantly prim and horribly _expectant_… not being selected seemed to be a direct spit in her face, as far as she was concerned. Still, she seemed to be relatively supportive of Blake.

At least, until the last bit of ice cream had been devoured, and the slight, light-haired young woman turned her expectant eyes to Blake. "Are you planning to tell them about… you?" she asked, in a voice that sounded like it was trying to be discreet, but not trying too hard at all.

Glynda frowned. Hadn't the entire conversation been about Blake?

Blake seemed to know exactly where Weiss was going. "It doesn't seem relevant."

"You're afraid it might change things," Weiss accused.

Nearby, Nora and Ruby were animatedly discussing something about Quest, and Yang was listening intently. None seemed to hear what was going on. Perhaps, Glynda conceded, Weiss was being discreet, and Glynda was simply too observant for her own good. Too curious too, maybe, as she continued to listen.

"Look, as long as it isn't public knowledge, it doesn't matter," Blake said. Anger was creeping into that low, soft voice.

"You're lying. To them, to yourself, to all your future fans."

No mistake, Blake was angry. Her golden-brown eyes had storms inside of them. "So what do you suggest? I tell them? What's it going to change for you? You still won't be in the group! Why does this matter so much? Can't I be happy? Do you think I don't notice how you're acting tonight?" Even upset, her voice was still hushed.

"That's not what…"

"I'll tell them. Okay? Will that make you happy? Then you won't be the only one to know. Hell, Ozpin can know too, where is he? And Sun. Sun's working tonight. Let's just tell the whole world!"

Somehow, that was what got Yang's attention. "What?" All of a sudden, it seemed the entire table was looking expectantly at Blake.

Blake went pale quickly. "I… I…"

"You don't have to say anything you don't want to," Glynda said with every bit of calmness she could muster. "I don't expect answers. Not, at least, in an environment like this. Public places aren't the best for getting to know new people or discussing business. I should have anticipated that." Despite calm words, Glynda couldn't help narrowing her eyes at Weiss. "It wouldn't do to have personal information get out. When you have fans, you tend to keep a quiet personal life if at all possible."

"Speak for yourself, Glyn," said Yang. "I live for that spotlight."

"And you also enjoy your sleepovers at my house, which might be harder to get to if you were surrounded by paparazzi day and night," retorted Glynda. She grew quickly serious. "Girls, you need to realize that things are about to change very quickly. Remnant Records is a company with means, not like Ember Celica Entertainment. They're able to do things quickly and on a very large scale, and from what I've gathered, they plan to do plenty with us. We're not in the small leagues anymore. It's going to be work from here on out, and I can't promise it'll be rewarding. Are you still with me?"

"Of course," Ruby agreed, and beside her, Velvet nodded.

Nora grinned her biggest grin. "Without a doubt!"

"For sure!" Yang offered.

Glynda looked to Blake.

Blake smiled. "Okay."

* * *

"_We're in the major league now, girls. Ember Celica Entertainment may be small for now, but in ten years it'll be huge! I'm sure of it!"_

_Next to Summer, Cinder smiled, and the smile was small and surprisingly innocent. "Who would have thought? Last year we were just three girls with a manager and choreographer, and now we've got a record deal."_

"_We have to really put our all into it!" Summer decided._

_Glynda rolled her eyes and looked up from her textbook. "Speak for yourself," she said sourly. "Some of us are still in high school."_

"_Drop out," Cinder suggested. She was obviously right back to being her old self._

"_Not if you paid me."_

"_What? What's waiting for you in high school? Boys?" At that, Glynda and Summer exchanged a guilty, subtle look. The younger woman's heart twinged at the thought of their last secret kiss, exchanged under the bleachers of Signal High School a week before Summer's graduation. "Look, Glyn, the days of normal life are over. We're in the real world now, and it's fun."_

"_So you're dropping out then?" _

"_My parents wouldn't allow it. But you don't have parents, so…"_

_Glynda's eyes narrowed. "The Roses are legally my guardians and they'd have a cow if…" She trailed off. If she dropped out? No, more like if they found out she was kissing Summer. _

_Cinder shrugged. "Regardless. This isn't a time for looking back or complaining. This is a time for new beginnings."_


	11. Friends With Benefits

Integrating Blake Belladonna into vocals was the easiest part of adding her to QotC, and even that was _no fucking picnic. _

Choreography had to be almost completely redone from scratch, and it wasn't just Blake who had to learn it. With new positions and movements, Nora, Yang, and Ruby did as well. Vocal parts changed, though the harmonies were all the sweeter now with four. Glynda had to get a rush order for another LED light up dress to compliment the _Shine _number (though was pleased to find that Blake hated them as much as she did).

Other things were difficult, too. Ice cream runs cost a little bit more. Yang was a little more distracted. Weiss Schnee was taking summer classes, but when her schedule allowed, she would sit in on rehearsals next to Velvet and criticize, criticize, criticize. Glynda began to plan QotC business specifically during the small woman's school hours.

The girls were up at six and working by seven, with enough breaks to keep them happy and healthy, but more than anything, constant run-throughs of the set list. _Mirror Mirror, Shine, Boop, Caffeine, I Burn, _each different song hitting a different part of what it meant to be a pop group. Ballads and love songs, declarations of independence, fun crush anthems. Songs that Glynda wrote, songs Velvet wrote, and a couple written as a group as the original five women spread out on the floor and brainstormed rhymes and rhythms.

Glynda had promised four weeks to ready her girls. One, two, three, four… a month passed all too quickly, and she was pleased, though not surprised, to find she had estimated right. Twenty-eight days after Blake Belladonna joined, two and a half weeks before the tour began, the girls did a perfect run. Glynda couldn't help a small smile, breaking her stern exterior for a brief minute. Still, despite the minuteness of it, each girl managed to pick up on it. "Yeeee, we did it!" exclaimed Ruby, hugging Nora close.

"You pick stuff up fast," Yang said to Blake with a grin, raising both hands for a high five. "We made a good choice."

"Now, now, ladies, don't celebrate yet," Glynda interjected. Blake's face fell immediately at the words. "We're not going to slack off. The worst is yet to come. I expect nothing less of you than complete competence. Now anyway, let's call the rehearsal quits for the day and have a team meet."

Ruby grinned. "You heard her! Velvet, get over here!"

"You too, Weiss, you're in this whether you like it or not," Yang hollered, a sly smile playing on her face.

The two girls, sitting by the piano initially, quickly made their way over to the forming circle. They sat, knees to knees on the floor, and for a moment, everyone was still, content in the silence. Glynda was loath to break it, but that was, after all, her job. "We have less than a month before we start out on the tour. There's a lot that Remnant Records is taking care of so we don't have to, but there's still things we need to be thinking about. Velvet, Weiss, are you going?"

Velvet nodded once, a confirmation. "It's my job, of course. I'm your publicity agent for real now."

Weiss, on the other hand, seemed unsure. "I signed up for summer classes."

"Oh, too bad…" began Glynda, but found herself interrupted.

"However, if you truly consider me part of this... little outsider's club…" A glance at Glynda, a glance at Velvet. "I insist that I withdraw and accompany you. It won't be a financial problem. I can pay my own way."

Glynda was simultaneously amused at the term "little outsider's club" (if anyone was an outsider, it was only Weiss herself) and annoyed. She didn't need Blake getting distracted by a girlfriend always willing to stir up arguments, as Weiss seemed to be especially good at. However, there was no way to argue it. Weiss was paying for herself, she'd already been promised team status, and… well, Glynda had trouble admitting it even to herself, but she was a good leader, a talented director. She could pick out the minutest issues with a performance and gave criticisms that were often constructive, clever, and tended to address things that Glynda herself couldn't quite voice.

"Very well," Glynda allowed. "Then for room arrangements. There are seven of us now, and Remnant Records has deemed it necessary that we have slightly more palatial accommodations… or rather, apparently it was less expensive to put us all into a suite rather than to get two separate hotel rooms. There are three beds and two rooms in the majority of the rooms. I thought that our obvious pairings could alternate."

"Mom, where will you sleep?"

"The couch. I'm not particularly picky." This was a lie. She was picky. But Glynda Goodwitch was also a manager, and she was more than capable of a few sacrifices. From the look in Ruby's eyes, the girl knew exactly what was going on, but chose not to say anything… perhaps to not call her mother out, perhaps to protect a few coveted nights alone with Velvet.

Glynda continued smoothly. "We'd been planned to be on tour for a month, going all across the west coast of the United States and Canada. However, it's been extended by a week, as Remnant Records is sponsoring a music festival in Vytal and is asking all of its groups with a teen target demographic to make an appearance. That's us, Cinderblock, the Malachites, a few others. It's about three days long, and there is a theme, so we have to learn a new song, and quick."

"What's the theme?" Blake was asking, her voice calm and curious, undaunted by the chore of another number.

"Decades. An overdone theme and a poor excuse Junior concocted to get us to perform a Summer Storm song, no doubt," Glynda muttered. "We've been asked to do nineties."

Ruby tilted her head. "Are we doing a Summer Storm song?"

When Glynda opened her mouth, it was to say no. No, she didn't want to teach her girls how to run through the cheery independent songs that had been burned into her very core so many years ago. No, she didn't want to instruct Ruby to move just like Summer, to sing just like Summer, to _be_ Summer. She didn't want Yang to be Cinder, seductive and cool, or Nora to be in the background, always dancing.

Then Glynda looked to Blake. Blake was talented, and hard-working, and completely unparalleled. Blake had no counterpart; there was nobody who could be compared to her. Blake was the symbol of all the reasons Queens of the Castle weren't Summer Storm.

There were four. The harmonies were different, the dances were different, and the dynamic was different. Glynda gave a slow, sure nod. "Yes. Yes, I believe we are."

* * *

She gave the girls a day off and went to see Ozpin. Now that it was summer, the ice cream shop was almost always bustling, but the man always made time for her, if only a couple minutes. Today, he seemed to have a little bit more than that available; Sun had all but finished training Jaune, Blake's replacement, and they and a couple other employees had everything running smoothly.

Ozpin sat across from Glynda and listened to her as she ran over the plan for the coming tour. "It's coming together more smoothly than I ever would have expected," she admitted. "I always looked at Oobleck and Junior and the others when I was in Summer Storm and I didn't envy them. They were busy, they were hectic, they never seemed to catch a break. That's true, I'm sure, but I have it so much easier than I ever thought I would. My girls are great, though."

"I'm sure you, Summer and Cinder were too," Ozpin commented with a smile. "So, you'll be gone for a month?"

Glynda nodded. "A little more than that. We'll be going to a lot of cities, though, many that Summer Storm never got a chance to visit. It's exciting."

"I'll miss you."

"Mm, I'll miss you too," Glynda said, then abruptly froze. _Did I say that? Did I mean it? _Oh, yes, that was out loud, considering the pleased look on Ozpin's face. Oh, yes, did she mean it, considering the little twinge in her heart when she considered not seeing him for five weeks.

Ozpin laughed. "You don't have to say that just to be nice," he noted.

"I'm not." _If I'm going to be up front about what I'm feeling, I'm not going to do it halfway. _Still, she couldn't help but look away sheepishly. "I consider you a very good friend, Ozpin, and one of the few people I look forward to seeing. It'll be nice to see you again when we return."

"A very good friend, huh?" He steepled his fingers and leaned towards her. "So much for 'What the fuck do you want from me.'"

Glynda blushed. "That was a very long time ago… hmm, I just realized. I don't know your full name." She had been going for mock angry, but that seemed to be ruined. She mentally facepalmed. She'd been friends with him for over two months now, and she only knew him as Ozpin. She'd never thought to ask for another name.

He smiled. "Most people don't. Anyway, I'm just glad I convinced you that maybe I actually just wanted to get to know you, as normal people do."

The blush on Glynda's face grew even hotter. "I have my reasons for being guarded. Assets, fame, Ruby…"

"I don't doubt it." Ozpin's agreement was amiable and immediate. "However, it didn't work out in my favor, and I'm glad to be done with it."

For a moment, there was a silence that fell over the table, and both listened to the indecipherable din of the customers for a moment. Then, Glynda decided something, the promise tumbling from her lips before she had half a chance to think about it. "I'll call you," she said.

Ozpin blinked. "Are you leaving?"

"No! Not yet! I meant that I'd call you when I'm on tour. I'm sure with bustling from city to city and hotel and hotel it would be nice to be able to touch base with someone from home. Besides, your voice has a singularly unique calming effect."

She couldn't look at him as she said those things; what was wrong with her? Yes, she trusted Ozpin, yes, she liked him. Perhaps he knew that… especially after their rocky start, the man was good with knowing what to say and when to say it. He moved their friendship along at her pace, making her laugh, think, and share in just the right measure. He knew how she felt about him and his friendship. How could he not? He responded to it so perfectly.

Yet, saying it was different. It was a different kind of closeness than she was used to, the one that she used to share with Summer and Cinder, back in the day. Perhaps even Lisa had once held a part of that side of Glynda, but that had even worn off a little in recent years. Getting back into the habit of open communication and heartfelt confessions was odd, and the young woman felt her stomach twist and turn in nervous protest.

As though to prove everything that had flashed through her head in those couple of seconds, Ozpin gave a reassuring smile. "You don't have to explain yourself if you don't want to. I know that doing so isn't always the easiest thing to do, for anyone, let alone you."

"You deserve to know. I wasn't lying. I do consider you a good friend." She laughed, an abrupt and almost forced snort. "There. Let's change the subject now."

Ozpin glanced at his watch and frowned. "I honestly would love to, but I have a lunch date planned with another friend of mine in about five minutes. Can I get a raincheck? How's tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow's fine. I'll let you be, then." Glynda rose, choosing not to ask who he was meeting, if this lunch engagement was a _friend date _or a _real date…_ the first question's answer would more than likely be someone she didn't know, and the second one seemed uncomfortable even to her. She wouldn't pry into Ozpin's life unless and until he invited her to do so.

As she passed, a firm grip grabbed her wrist and made her stop. Still sitting, Ozpin looked up at her and grinned. "Don't I get an actual goodbye?"

"Oh." She hadn't even said the word, had she? "Goodbye."

"No, no, no." He rose, still clutching her arm, though it was now with a gentle hand. Then, his hands went to her shoulders and gripped them with careful and comforting force. "I'll see you later, Glynda," he said in his amazingly calm tone, his eyes looking into hers with some sort of… something... that she couldn't quite place. "I'll see you tomorrow. Noon?"

"Noon is good," she agreed. "I'll see you then."

He hesitated. Then… "May I hug you?"

She snorted, and felt the corner of her mouth lift up. "Most people don't ask."

"To be honest, you seem untouchable. I'm kind of afraid of what would have happened if I hadn't asked you first."

Glynda Goodwitch didn't answer. Instead, she initiated.

A single moment of surprise on Ozpin's end, then he reciprocated. The hug was quick, less than two seconds… there was no linger to it. Still, Glynda was observant. This wasn't one of her romance books, and she didn't smell musk or leather or even vanilla and coffee beans (and she probably couldn't have identified them even if she did smell them). She did, however, note that whatever Ozpin smelled like, it smelled good. She noticed he was stronger than he looked, that he had some amount of careful force to his hug. When they pulled away from each other, she noticed he was smiling.

"That," he said, "is a proper goodbye between friends."

"I'll keep that in mind," she noted, trying to sound her normal dry self, but the words tumbled out much too quickly. "Anyway, your friend will be here any moment, and…"

"You could stay for a moment longer. She'd be happy to see you, you know."

"Another fan?"

Behind her, the bell that signaled the entrance or exit of a customer chimed, and perhaps out of habit, Ozpin looked over. His smile grew. "See for yourself."

Glynda turned just in time to see Cinder Fall remove her expensive designer sunglasses and stick them into an equally luxurious purse. She was the pinnacle of summer in a hat, tank top, and the shortest shorts Glynda would count as something _other _than simply a pair of denim panties. Despite the small amount of initial judgment, Glynda had to concede to herself that one, Cinder was a big girl and could decide what to wear for herself, and two, they definitely made her legs look phenomenal.

Cinder sauntered up to the two friends and gave a quick, appraising glance. "Is this a date for three?" she quipped.

It was a quip, right? It didn't hold any of her normal sarcasm, but something like that could only be a joke. Cinder, after all, had said only weeks ago that she was gay, done with boys. This was a friend meetup, and Cinder was making light of it after seeing Glynda there. It all made sense.

"I'm just leaving. Good to see you, Cinder."

"Wait." Cinder's smile was small, but genuine. "I have a couple questions for you, Goodwitch."

That couldn't be good.

"I promise they're not about whatever ridiculous embrace you and Ozpin just concluded," Cinder added, waving her hand dismissively.

"How did you know about–"

"There is a big, glass thing called a window that allows you to see into the shop from the street, and vice versa." Cinder flipped her long, dark ponytail and smirked. "Anyway, I was just wondering what you're doing for your part of the music festival. I know they're pushing a Summer Storm song on you. Are you kowtowing?"

Glynda nodded. "I think the best way to get Junior off my back about recreating our legacy is to show him once and for all in a very public position that my girls are different."

"What song?"

"I was toying with Gold, _but _I think Ruby might do better with… well…"

Cinder's eyes flickered with comprehension. "She has to know that song."

"Of course. It's her song, after all. Even if she hasn't heard it sung in fourteen years, I think she'll know the moment she gets the lyric sheet." Glynda closed her eyes, thinking. "There would be no better way for them to do a Summer Storm song that separates us from the girls now then for them to do an unreleased song."

"There's plenty of those."

"But this is the one the public knows exists, and have seen lyrics from, even if only in part."

Cinder tilted her head, and the expression on her face was a mixture of admiration and confusion. "Could you bear to teach it?"

An interjection, from Ozpin, who had been quietly listening. "Are you talking about the lullaby Summer wrote?"

Glynda nodded. "Yes," she said. "I am."

* * *

_Summer's belly made it hard for her to reach the piano keys easily, and Glynda Goodwitch, age sixteen, looked over the woman's shoulder warily. "I can play the music, Summer," she offered. "All you have to do is dictate."_

_For a moment, Glynda thought the seventeen year old was going to decline. Instead, she gracefully slid over. "That would be wonderful. The music's already written, though, but I want to be able to sing it. Figure out the words." She slid two hands over the baby bump. "I want them to hear me," she whispered conspiratorially._

"_They hear you every time we go into the studio to record," Glynda noted._

_Summer stuck out her tongue. "This is special! I'm going to sing it for them every day. Though writing the song without knowing the pronouns yet is hard."_

"_Have you decided on names?"_

"_For a boy, I'm thinking Roy. For a girl, Ruby."_

_Not bad names, though alliteration had never been Glynda's thing (she'd been on the receiving end of too many comments for her to ever inflict it on a child of her own). "I like them," she said, surprising herself with honesty, feeling like the names would grow on her._

_Summer smiled. She had a glow to her, but it didn't overwrite the uncertainty in her eyes. Summer would never say as much, but Glynda knew that she was frightened. They were both kids, and they were kids who were living on their own after Mr. Rose had all but abandoned them. They were known, and they were both openly bisexual. There were so many things to worry about. Would they be able to care for this child? Protect them from the world that would like to see them hurt? Would Summer and Glynda accidentally be the ones doing the hurting?_

_No wonder Summer wanted to write her baby a song. She wanted to sing the coming child a promise._

_Glynda glanced to the music, and her hands began to move across the piano keys. After a moment, Summer's voice wove into the song. "Long ago, before we met, I dreamed about you…"_

* * *

"The song was never finished. It's only a couple verses and a chorus."

Glynda hesitated. "I… I wrote more. I finished the song. Summer and I originally wrote it together anyway. I think it's only fitting that I added to it."

Cinder's face was unreadable. "I won't tell you no," she said finally. "It's your thing. Now anyway, Ozpin, don't we have a date?"

That was enough to pique Glynda's curiosity in an unavoidable way… her desire to change the subject didn't hurt much either. "Are you two exclusive?" she asked, trying to keep her voice light.

"Well, I wouldn't say exclusive…" Cinder purred. "This is more of a test drive."

_Ozpin deserves better than her. _The thought came quick and hard, followed up immediately by another: _And why does she want to date him? He's not her type! She needs someone more her speed._

_None of your business, Glynda. Stay out of this, _she warned herself, and then attempted a smile. "Have fun on your date then, you two. Ozpin, I'll see you tomorrow." Then, after a brief second to contemplate what an _abso-fucking-lutely horrible idea this was, _she added, "Cinder, we should meet for coffee one day soon. It's been a while since we've been able to talk one on one."

_What are your plans? Grill her about her date like you're still best friends, and then ask her not to be mad at you for ruining _All Our Days_? Sure, that's probably reasonable._

Before she could take it back, Cinder smirked again. "This Sunday, here, ten in the morning. Don't be late, or you're paying for me."

"I won't be late. You two have fun. Now, really. Goodbye."

She managed to keep her composure until she was out the door, then her emotions dropped on her full force. As she fiddled with the keys to her car, she went over everything she'd learned. Ozpin and Cinder were dating? Only they weren't so much _dating _as _going on a date. _That was still uncomfortably strange.

Glynda had pegged Ozpin as someone who didn't date, for some reason. She thought he might be like Nora, aromantic and/or asexual. He didn't talk about anyone in a romantic sense; he never had, not in the months of friendship. He'd never made any obvious advances towards her, and he'd definitely never stared at her in all the wrong ways, as many professed "fans" of her did. Somewhere along the line, she assumed he just had no interest in it. It was a crappy assumption to make, and one she did only barely consciously, but somehow it had happened anyway. She made a mental note to fix that, and finally managed to unlock her car.

There was still a sinking feeling in her chest, as though there was something else she should be thinking about, but was missing.

Instead of digging for it, Glynda Goodwitch turned on the radio to a 90's throwback station and began to drive.


End file.
